Adams | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | School of Medicine

Michael A. Adams PhD

Position(s)

Professor

Contact Info

613-533-6000 ext. 75831

Dr. Michael Adams and Dr. Rachel Holden (Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine) run a collaborative research laboratory. The long term goal of our research is to contribute to a greater understanding of the causes and consequences of cardiovascular disease, particularly with respect to how chronic kidney disease greatly accelerates the disease progression. In addition, an overall goal is to apply this knowledge to the development and implementation of new therapeutic strategies for prevention and treatment of the pathological outcomes.

Research Interests:

Exploring the mechanisms underlying the development of circulatory abnormalities has followed varied approaches over the years including changes in neural, hormonal and local factors as well as in vascular structure. Within that framework our investigations focus on the critical and fundamental role that pathogenic vascular remodeling plays in producing changes to circulatory health. Specifically, in conditions such as CKD, our research targeting the mechanistic underpinnings of abnormal circulatory states involving vascular calcification, endothelial dysfunction, increased pulse pressure, elevated pulse wave velocity, cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension.

We seek to determine the efficacy of novel treatments, such as those that modify systemic phosphate handling, to prevent or reverse the pathological vascular structural changes and the consequent circulatory abnormalities.

In addition, Dr. Adams has been a founder of two start-up companies and was successful in developing a drug that reached the world market. He has trained more than 40 graduate students and 10 post-doctoral fellows.

Selected Publications (since 2003):

Smallegange C, Kline RL, Adams MA. Transplantation of enalapril-treated kidneys confers persistent lowering of arterial pressure in SHR. Hypertension 42:932-936, 2003
Smallegange C, Hale TM, Bushfield TL, Adams MA. Persistent Lowering of Pressure by Transplanting Kidneys from Adult Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Treated with Brief Antihypertensive Therapy. Hypertension 44: 89-94, 2004
Hannan JL, Smallegange C, Hale TM, Heaton JPW, Adams MA. Impact of Antihypertensive Treatments on Erectile Responses in Aging Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. J Hypertension. 24: 159-168, 2006
Hannan JL., Heaton JPW, Adams MA. Recovery of Erectile Function in Aging Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats Using Exercise and Caloric Restriction, Journal of Sexual Medicine 4: 886–897, 2007
Bourque SL, Komolova M, Nakatsu K, Adams MA. Long-Term Circulatory Consequences of Perinatal Iron-Deficiency in Male Wistar Rats. Hypertension 51:154-159, 2008.
Burke SD, Barrette VF, Bianco J, Thorne JG, Yamada AT, Pang SC, Adams MA and Croy BA. Spiral Arterial Remodeling is Not Essential for Normal Blood Pressure Regulation in Pregnant Mice. Hypertension 55:729-737, 2010
Komolova M and Adams MA. Moment-to-Moment Characteristics of the Relationship Between Arterial Pressure and Renal Interstitial Hydrostatic Pressure, Hypertension, 56; 650-657, 2010
Hannan JL, Blaser MC, Oldfield L, Pang, SC, Pang JJ, Adams SM and Adams MA Morphological and Functional Evidence for the Contribution of the Pudendal Artery in Aging-Induced Erectile Dysfunction. J. Sex. Med. 7(10):3373–3384, 2010
Taben M. Hale, Terri L. Bushfield, Jeanette Woolard, Judy J. Pang, Karen J. Rees-Milton, Michael A. Adams. Changes Critical to Persistent Lowering of Arterial Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Occur Early in Antihypertensive Treatment. Journal of Hypertension 29(1): 113–122, 2011
JL Hannan, Blaser MC, Pang JJ, Adams SM, Pang SC, Adams MA. Impact of Hypertension, Aging and Antihypertensive Treatment on the Morphology of the Pudendal Artery. Journal of Sexual Medicine 8:1027–1038, 2011
SL Bourque, Davidge ST, Adams MA. The interaction between endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in the vasculature: new perspectives. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 300: R1288–R1295, 2011.
Croy BA, Burke SD, Barrette VF, Zhang J, Hatta K, Smith GN, Bianco J, Yamada AT, Adams MA. Identification of the primary outcomes that result from deficient spiral arterial modification in pregnant mice. Pregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women’s Cardiovascular Health. 1;1(1):87-94. 2011
MacKenzie L, Heaton JPW and Adams MA. Impact of Systemically Active Neurohumoral Factors on the Erectile Response of the Rat. J. Sexual Medicine 8:2461–2471, 2011
SD Burke,VF Barrette, S David, EV Khankin, MA Adams and BA Croy. Circulatory and Renal Consequences of Pregnancy in Diabetic NOD Mice. Placenta 32; 949-955, 2011
Hannan JL, Cheung GL, Blaser MC, Pang JJ, Pang SC, Webb RC, Adams MA. Characterization of the vasculature supplying the genital tissues in female rats. J Sex Med. 9(1):136-147, 2012
Bourque SL, Komolova M, McCabe K, Adams MA, Nakatsu K. Perinatal iron deficiency combined with a high-fat diet causes obesity and cardiovascular dysregulation. Endocrinology. 153(3):1174-82. 2012
Bourque SL, Whittingham HA, Brien SE, Davidge ST, Adams MA. Role of endothelin-1 in the hyper-responsiveness to nitrovasodilators following acute NOS inhibition. Br J Pharmacol. 165(6):1992-1999, 2012.
Komolova M, Friberg P and Adams MA. Altered Vascular Resistance Properties and Acute Pressure-Natriuresis Mechanism in Neonatal and Weaning Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Hypertension 59(5):979-84, 2012
Maio TM, Hannan JL, Komolova M and Adams MA. Caloric Restriction Prevents Visceral Adipose Tissue Accumulation and Maintains Erectile Function in Aging Rats. J. Sex. Med 9(9), 2273–2283, 2012
McCabe KM, Booth SL, Fu X, Shobeiri N, Pang JJ, Adams MA and Holden RM. Dietary Vitamin K and Therapeutic Warfarin Alter the Susceptibility to Vascular Calcification in Experimental Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney International, 83(5):835-44 (2013)
Shobeiri N, Pang JJ Adams MA, Holden RM. Cardiovascular Disease in an Adenine-Induced Model of Chronic Kidney Disease; The Temporal Link Between Vascular Calcification and Hemodynamic Consequences. J. Hypertension 31(1):160-168 (2013)
Aasa KL, Kwong KK, Adams MA, Croy BA. Analysis of maternal and fetal cardiovascular systems during hyperglycemic pregnancy in the nonobese diabetic mouse. Biol. Reproduction. 88(6):151. (2013)
McCabe KM, Adams MA, Holden RM, Vitamin K Status in Chronic Kidney Disease. Nutrients. 5(11): 4390–4398 (2013)
Shobeiri N, Adams MA, Holden RM. Phosphate: an old bone molecule but new cardiovascular risk factor. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 77(1):39-54 (2014)
Garland JS, Holden RM, Ross R, Adams MA, Nolan RL, Hopman WM, Morton AR. Insulin resistance is associated with Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 in stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease patients. J Diabetes Complications. 28(1):61-65 (2014)
Cotechini T, Komisarenko M, Sperou A, Macdonald-Goodfellow S, Adams MA, and Graham CH. Inflammation in rat pregnancy inhibits spiral artery remodeling leading to fetal growth restriction and features of preeclampsia. J. Exp. Med. (2014)
Maio MT, McCabe KM, Pruss CM, Pang JJ, Laverty K, Holden RM, and Adams MA. Calcification of the internal pudendal artery and development of erectile dysfunction in adenine-induced chronic kidney disease: A sentinel of systemic vascular changes. J Sex Med 11:2449–2465 (2014)
White CA, Ghazan-Shahi S, Adams MA. β-Trace protein: a marker of GFR and other biological pathways. Am J Kidney Dis. 65(1):131-46 (2015)
Holden RM, Booth SL, Day AG, Clase CM, Zimmerman D, Moist L, Shea MK, McCabe KM, Jamal SA, Tobe S, Weinstein J, Madhumathi R, Adams MA, Heyland DK. Inhibiting the progression of arterial calcification with vitamin K in HemoDialysis patients (iPACK-HD) trial: rationale and study design for a randomized trial of vitamin K in patients with end stage kidney disease. Can J Kidney Health Dis. May 1;2:17. doi: 10.1186/s40697-015-0053-x. (2015)
White CA, Adams MA. In Reply to 'Renal Handling of β-Trace Protein: Interpreting the Evidence. Am J Kidney Dis. Jun;65(6):967-8. (2015)
Aasa KL, Maciver RD, Ramchandani S, Adams MA, Ozolins TR. In Utero Exposure to a Cardiac Teratogen Causes Reversible Deficits in Postnatal Cardiovascular Function, but Altered Adaptation to the Burden of Pregnancy. Toxicol Sci. 148(1):155-66. (2015)
Zelt JG, McCabe KM, Svajger B, Barron H, Laverty K, Holden RM, Adams MA. Magnesium Modifies the Impact of Calcitriol Treatment on Vascular Calcification in Experimental Chronic Kidney Disease. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 355(3):451-62. (2015)
Rätsep MT, Paolozza A, Hickman AF, Maser B, Kay VR, Mohammad S, Pudwell J, Smith GN, Brien D, Stroman PW, Adams MA, Reynolds JN, Croy BA, Forkert ND. Brain Structural and Vascular Anatomy Is Altered in Offspring of Pre-Eclamptic Pregnancies: A Pilot Study. Am J Neuroradiol. 37(5):939-45. (2016)
Rätsep MT, Hickman AF, Maser B, Pudwell J, Smith GN, Brien D, Stroman PW, Adams MA, Reynolds JN, Croy BA, Paolozza A. Impact of preeclampsia on cognitive function in the offspring. Behav Brain Res. 302:175-181. (2016)
Jozefacki A, White CA, Shobeiri NS, Hopman WM, Johri AM, Adams MA, Holden RM. Phosphate excretion is decreased in older cardiac patients with normal kidney function: an emerging dietary risk factor? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 4: 452-5. (2016)
Nelson SM, Sarabia SR, Christilaw E, Ward EC, Lynch SK, Adams MA, Holden RM. Phosphate- Containing Prescription Medications Contribute to the Daily Phosphate Intake in a Third of Hemodialysis Patients.J Ren Nutr.16: 1051-2276. (2016)
Grant M, Turner ME, Murray-Guenther J, Anastassiades T, Hopman WM, Adams SM, Jeronimo P, Nolan R, Adams MA, Holden RM. A novel quantitative approach to the measurement of abdominal aortic calcification as applied to the Canadian Multicenter Osteoporosis Study (CaMOS). J.Bone. 97: 201-208. (2017)
McCabe KM, Booth SL, Fu X, Ward E, Adams MA, Holden RM Vitamin K Metabolism in a Rat Model of Chronic Kidney Disease. Am J Nephrol 45(1):4-13. (2017)
Turner ME, Laverty KJ, Jeronimo PS, Kaufmann M, Jones G, White CA, Holden RM, Adams MA.
Validation of a routine two-sample iohexol plasma clearance assessment of GFR and an evaluation of common endogenous markers in a rat model of CKD. Physiol Rep. May;5(9). pii: e13205. doi: 10.14814/phy2.13205. (2017)
Nelson SM, Sarabia SR, Christilaw E, Ward EC, Lynch SK, Adams MA, Holden RM. Phosphate- Containing Prescription Medications Contribute to the Daily Phosphate Intake in a Third of Hemodialysis Patients. J Ren Nutr. 27(2):91-96. (2017)
Grant M, Turner ME, Murray-Guenther J, Anastassiades T, Hopman WM, Adams SM, Jeronimo P, Nolan R, Adams MA, Holden RM. A novel quantitative approach to the measurement of abdominal aortic calcification as applied to the Canadian Multicenter Osteoporosis Study (CaMOS). J.Bone. 97: 201-208. (2017).
McCabe KM, Booth SL, Fu X, Ward E, Adams MA, Holden RM. Vitamin K Metabolism in a Rat Model of Chronic Kidney Disease Am J Nephrol 45(1):4-13. (2017).
Levac BM, Adams MA, Pyke KE. The impact of an acute oral phosphate load on endothelium dependent and independent brachial artery vasodilation in healthy males. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. Dec;42(12):1307-1315. (2017)
Ushida T, Macdonald-Goodfellow SK, Quadri A, Tse MY, Winn LM, Pang SC, Adams MA, Kotani T, Kikkawa F, Graham CH. Persistence of risk factors associated with maternal cardiovascular disease following aberrant inflammation in rat pregnancy. Biol Reprod. Jul 1;97(1):143-152. (2017)
Turner ME, Laverty KJ, Jeronimo PS, White CA, Adams MA, Holden RM. Impaired phosphate tolerance revealed with an acute oral challenge. J Bone Miner Res. Jan;33(1):113-122. (2018)
McCabe KM, Zelt JG, Kaufmann M, Laverty K, Ward E, Barron H, Jones G, Adams MA, Holden RM. Calcitriol accelerates vascular calcification irrespective of vitamin K status in a rat model of CKD with hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2018 Jun 14. pii: jpet.117.247270. doi: 10.1124/jpet.117.247270. [Epub ahead of print]

Adams/Holden Laboratory

Laboratory Personnel:

Research Associate: Dr. Cynthia Pruss

PhD Students: Mandy Turner, Bruno Svajger

MSc Students: Corey Forster, Lok Hang Lee

Undergraduate Students: Austin Lansing, Rachel Liu, Jillian Rodgers

Research Assistant: Kim Laverty

Technicians: Emilie Ward

Team

Research Interests:

Selected Publications (since 2003):

Adams/Holden Laboratory

Faculty