J. Carter Ralphe, MD
Assistant Professor
Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
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Contact the Group
(608) 262-1603
Department of Pediatrics
UW Hospital
600 Highland Ave - H4/414
Madison, WI 53792-4108
Ralphe Laboratory
Major Research Interests
Our lab is interested in understanding the impact of metabolism and energy production on cardiac contractile performance in the immature heart. We are particularly focused on understanding how the transitioning perinatal heart responds energetically to the stress of congenital heart disease or other contractile abnormalities. Our current approaches employ a novel 3D culture model using late fetal or early neonatal rat cardiomyocytes from which we gather molecular, metabolic, and mechanical data. Our cultures can be grown under both mechanical and electrically active environments.
The lab is equipped with standard and high-throughput molecular tools as well as two physiology work stations. The first is equipped with a high speed length controller to dynamically mimic loading conditions and a force transducer integrated with an IonOptix system for measuring calcium transients. The second station is designed to measure oxygen consumption and metabolic activity while gathering simultaneous force data. With these tools we are able to define the metabolic phenotype in the immature myocardium and test conditions that provide improved energy production and utilization within the stressed immature heart.
Staff
 Willem (Toy) J. De Lange Research Associate |  Laura F. Hegge Senior Research Specialist | Enrique Pena Graduate Trainee |  Carl W. Tong, MD, PhD Cardiovascular Medicine Fellow (DOM) |
Active Grants
Expression and Function of EAATs in the Heart
NIH/NHLBI K08 HL074224-01
04/05-05/10
Mitochondrial Maturation and Function in the Engineered Heart Model
AHA BGIA 0765303U
07/07-06/09
Honors & Awards
| Kenny Award for Outstanding Young Investigator Midwest Society for Pediatric Research |
09/2001 |
| Young Investigator Award American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Cardiology |
10/2001 |
| Children’s Health Research Career Development Award Scholar National Institutes of Health |
2003-04 |
| James Sutherland Award, Outstanding Research by a Young Investigator Midwest Society of Pediatric Research |
10/2004 |
Recent Publications
Nau, P., Van Natta, T., Ralphe, J.C., TenEyck, C.T., Bedell, K.A., Caldarone, C., Segar, J.L., Scholz, T.D. 2002 Metabolic adaptation of the fetal and post-natal heart: regulatory role of hypoxia inducible factor-1 and nuclear respiratory factor-1. Ped Res, 52(2):269-278.
Ralphe, J.C., Segar, J.L., Schutte, B.C., Scholz, T.D. 2004 Localization and function of the excitatory amino acid transporter type 1 in cardiac mitochondria. J Mol Cell Cardiol, 37(1):33-41.
Van Natta, T.L., Ralphe, J.C., Caldarone, C.A., Scholz, T.D., Segar, J.L.. 2004. Ontogeny of vascular growth factors in perinatal sheep myocardium. J Soc Gynecol Investig, 11(8):503-10.
Ralphe, J.C., Bedell, K., Segar, J.L., Scholz, T.D. 2005 Correlation between myocardial malate/aspartate shuttle activity and EAAT1 protein expression in hyper- and hypothyroidism. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 288(5):H2521-6.
Mascio, C.E., Olson, A.L., Ralphe, J.C., Tomanek, R.J., Scholz, T.D., Segar, J.L. 2005. Myocardial Vascular and Metabolic Adaptations in Chronically Anemic Fetal Sheep. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 289(6):R1736-45.
Ralphe, J.C., Nau, P.N., Mascio, C.E., Segar, J.L., Scholz, T.D. 2005 Regulation of Myocardial Glucose Transporters GLUT1 and GLUT4 in Chronically Anemic Fetal Lambs. Ped Res, 2005;58(4):713-718.
Tatum, G.H., Newman, B., Ralphe, J.C., Neonatal congestive heart failure due to a subclavian artery to subclavian vein fistula diagnosed by non-invasive procedures. Congenit Heart Dis, 2006;1:120-123.
Mamoi, N., Tinney, J.P., Liu, L.J., Elshershari, H., Hoffman, P.J., Ralphe, J.C., Keller, B.B., Tobita, K. 2008. Modest Maternal Caffeine Exposure Affects Developing Embryonic Cardiovascular Function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 2008;294(5):H2248-56.