Chairman

Parimal Chowdhury
Professor
Ph.D., McGill University
Office: (501) 686-5443
Lab: (501) 296-1566
Email: ChowdhuryParimal@uams.edu

Currently my laboratory’s focus is directed in two specific research areas. The first area concerns with the detailed study, in in-vitro and in an animal model, to determine mechanisms of how nicotine, a major component in cigarette smoking, induces the pathophysiological changes of the exocrine pancreas. Applying physiological, biochemical, ultrastructural and molecular techniques, we are interested in correlated studies that will explain the development of pancreatitis leading to pancreatic carcinogenesis in rats and mice exposed to graded doses of nicotine. Our second focus was to develop a better animal model of simulated weightlessness following microgravity and to study physiological responses of various tissues to hindlimb suspension with an ultimate aim of developing the countermeasure for space travel related sickness. A modified NASA validated tail- suspension system is currently being used in a rodent model to study varieties of physiological parameters including diet, nutrition and antioxidants. Our research was supported in part by funds from the National Institutes of Health, RW Johnson Research Foundation of New Jersey and Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.

Parimal Chowdhury and Priya Gupta. Pathophysiology of Alcoholic Pancreatitis: an overview. World J Gastroenterology 12(46):7421-7, 2006

Parimal Chowdhury and Kodetthoor Udupa. Nicotine as mitogenic stimuli for pancreatic acinar cell proliferation. Editorial Article. World J Gastroenterology 12(46):7428-32, 2006

Stewart MacLeod and Parimal Chowdhury. The genetics of nicotine dependence: relationships with pancreatic cancer. World J Gastroenterology 12(46):7433-9, 2006

Parimal Chowdhury, Chhanda Bose and Kodetthoor Udupa..Nicotine Induced Proliferation of isolated Rat Pancreatic Acinar Cells: Effect on Cell Signaling and Function. Cell Proloferation 40: 125-141, 2007

Parimal Chowdhury, Michael Soulsby and Kyongmin Kim. L-carnitine influence on oxidative stress induced by hind-limb unloading in Adult Rats. Aviat Space Environ Med 78:554-556. 2007.

Mehta R, Chowdhury P and Ali N. Scanning electron microscope studies of bone samples: influence of simulated microgravity. Nucl Instr and Meth on Physics Res B. 261: 908-912 , 2007.

Parimal Chowdhury and Azida Walker.. A cell based approach to study changes in the pancreas following nicotine exposure in an animal model of injury. Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgery, 2008 (in press)