- B415, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584969
- nicola.king@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Nicola King
Lecturer in Cardiac Physiology (Education)
School of Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Health)
Biography
Biography
Lecturer in Cardiac Physiology
Qualifications
- BSc Hons - Napier University, Edinburgh
- PhD - Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne
- PgCAP - University of Plymouth
Professional membership
British Society for Cardiovascular Research
The Physiological Society
Roles on external bodies
Chair - Association of Clinical Physiology Educators
Former elected member of the executive board of the British Society for Cardiovascular Research
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I largely teach all aspects of cardiovascular science including physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy. However, you will also find me teaching other aspects of physiology to Foundation year and first year students
I am module leader for:
- BHCS1008: Cardiovascular and respiratory physiology
- BHCS2018 (Z): Systems physiology: function and dysfunction
- BHCS3018: Specialist cardiovascular investigations.
BSc Hons Biomedical Science with Integrated Foundation Year
Staff serving as external examiners
University of Ulster 2021-2024
Research
Research
Research interests
The major thrust of my research is to explore different approaches to improving the outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac surgery or cardiology interventions. The method used is systematic review and meta-analysis.
Other research
Classically a major focus of my research is the role of amino acids and small peptides in the heart. In particular I concentrate on membrane transport, hypertrophy, and myocardal protection against ischaemia reperfusion. Membrane transport has been a mainstay of my research going right back to my PhD days. Most recent publications have investigated dipeptide transport in the kidney under various conditions.
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
PhD Helen Williams
Grants & contracts
2009-2012 - The Brunei healthy heart projects: sourcing strategic Halal antioxidants. Brunei Government 1,440,000 BND
2007 - Can nurses and biomedical scientists learn and work interprofessionally? A pilot in Brunei for a comparative regional study. 1837.5 BND
2005-2007 - An investigation into the expression and activity of cysteine transporters in heart: relationship to glutathione synthesis and cardioprotection. British Heart Foundation (BHF) £126,200
2002-2004 - Amino acids and myocardial hypertrophy: expression, transport and protection. BHF Intermediate Fellowship £131,732
2002-2004 - An investigation into the expression and activity of the cystine-glutamate exchanger in relation to glutathione's role in myocardial protection. BHF £84,270
1999-2001 - An investigation into the cardioprotective action of glutamate and expression and regulation of its transporters in the heart. BHF Junior research fellowship. £66,410
1999-2001 - An investigation of the expression and regulation of glutamate and aspartate transporters in heart and their implications to myocardial protection. BHF £66,112
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
(2021) 'HTK versus multidose cardioplegias for myocardial protection in adult cardiac surgery: A meta‐analysis' Journal of Cardiac Surgery 36, (4) 1334-1343 , DOI Open access
(2021) 'Effect of methionine feeding on oxidative stress, intracellular calcium and contractility in cardiomyocytes isolated from male and female rats' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 476, (5) 2039-2045 , DOI
(2021) 'Effect of ageing and hypertension on the expression and activity of PEPT2 in normal and hypertrophic hearts' Amino Acids 53, (2) 183-193 , DOI
(2020) 'Microplegia in cardiac surgery: Systematic review and meta‐analysis' Journal of Cardiac Surgery 35, (10) 2737-2746 , DOI Open access
(2020) 'Effect of L-Methionine Feeding on Serum Homocysteine and Glutathione Levels in Male and Female Wistar Rats' Advances in Biochemistry 8, (1) 21-21 , DOI Open access
(2020) 'Effect of Age on Clinical Outcomes Following On-/Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass: MetaAnalysis and Meta-Regression' Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 35, (5) , DOI
(2019) 'Relationship between Initial High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin-T Morbidity and Mortality in Patients after ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Erbil City, Iraq' Journal of heart and cardiology , DOI Open access
(2019) 'Effect of vitamin D supplementation on endothelial function – An updated systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression' Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation improves exercise capacity and health-related quality of life in people with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and non-randomised trials' Open Heart Open access
(2018) 'Hybrid coronary revascularization versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting: Systematic review and meta-analysis' Medicine 97, (33) , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Molecular changes to the rat renal cotransporters PEPT1 and PEPT2 due to ageing' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 452, (1-2) 71-82 , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Effect of exercise therapy on established and emerging circulating biomarkers in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis' Open Heart 5, (2) e000819-e000819 , DOI Open access
(2018) 'Long-term outcomes of on vs. off pump coronary artery bypass grafting' Journal of the American College of Cardiology , DOI Open access
(2017) 'A new use of β-Ala-Lys (AMCA) as a transport reporter for PEPT1 and PEPT2 in renal brush border membrane vesicles from the outer cortex and outer medulla' Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes 1860, (5) 960-964 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Clinical Outcomes to Exercise Training in Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis' Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Is there a long-term survival benefit with on pump coronary artery bypass grafting?' Annals of Translational Medicine 498-498 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Kinetic Measurements of Di- and Tripeptide and Peptidomimetic Drug Transport in Different Kidney Regions Using the Fluorescent Membrane Potential-Sensitive Dye, DiS-C3-(3)' Journal of Membrane Biology 250, (6) 641-649 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Cardiac auscultation versus two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of native aortic and mitral valve disease in Erbil city' Journal of Heart and Cardiology , DOI Open access
(2017) 'On vs. off pump coronary artery bypass grafting: the next chapter' Annals of Translational medicine 5, (5) 116-116 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'Minimally invasive cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis' INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY 223, 554-560 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'On- vs. off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: A systematic review and meta-analysis' International Journal of Cardiology , DOI Open access
(2016) 'Effects of pre-procedural remote ischaemic pre-conditioning on the outcomes of elective percutaneous coronary intervention. A systematic review and meta-analysis' Clinical Trials and Regulatory Science in Cardiology 21, 1-6 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'A scoping study investigating student perceptions towards inquiry based learning in the laboratory' European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education Publisher Site Open access
(2016) 'Effect of exercise training on liver function in adults who are overweight or exhibit fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis' British Journal of Sports Medicine bjsports-2016-096197-bjsports-2016-096197 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'Remote ischaemic pre-conditioning does not affect clinical outcomes following coronary Artery bypass grafting. A systematic review and meta-analysis' Clinical Trials and Regulatory Science in Cardiology 17, 1-8 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'Age-related protein and mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidases (GPx) and Hsp-70 in different regions of rat kidney with and without stressor' AIMS Molecular Science 3, (2) 125-137 , DOI
(2015) 'Effect of ageing and oxidative stress on antioxidant enzyme activity in different regions of the rat kidney' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 408, (1-2) 253-260 , DOI
(2015) 'Effects of ageing on metabolite and oxidant concentrations in different regions of rat kidney under normal and stress conditions' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 408, (1-2) 55-61 , DOI
(2015) 'l-Glycyl-l-glutamine provides the isolated and perfused young and middle-aged rat heart protection against ischaemia–reperfusion injury' Amino Acids 47, (8) 1559-1565 , DOI
(2015) 'Homocysteine Exposure Impairs Myocardial Resistance to Ischaemia Reperfusion and Oxidative Stress' Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry 37, (6) 2265-2274 , DOI
(2012) 'Propofol improves recovery of the isolated working hypertrophic heart from ischaemia–reperfusion' Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology 464, (5) 513-522 , DOI
(2010) 'Oxidative stress increases SNAT1 expression and stimulates cysteine uptake in freshly isolated rat cardiomyocytes' Amino Acids 40, (2) 517-526 , DOI
(2010) 'Cysteine protects freshly isolated cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress by stimulating glutathione peroxidase' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 343, (1-2) 125-132 , DOI
(2010) 'The Use of Comparative Quantitative RT-PCR to Investigate the Effect of Cysteine Incubation on GPx1 Expression in Freshly Isolated Cardiomyocytes' 215-232 , DOI
(2007) 'Measurement of cardiac gene expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)' Methods Mol Biol 366, 109-119 , DOI
(2006) 'Demonstration of functional dipeptide transport with expression of PEPT2 in guinea pig cardiomyocytes' Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology 453, (6) 915-922 , DOI
(2006) 'Expression and activity of the glutamate transporter EAAT2 in cardiac hypertrophy: implications for ischaemia reperfusion injury' Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology 452, (6) 674-682 , DOI
(2005) 'Mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effect of l-cysteine' Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 277, (1-2) 27-31 , DOI
(2004) 'A new method of quantifying glutathione levels in freshly isolated single superfused rat cardiomyocytes' Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 50, (3) 215-222 , DOI
(2004) 'Aspartate transporter expression and activity in hypertrophic rat heart and ischaemia-reperfusion injury' The Journal of Physiology 556, (3) 849-858 , DOI
(2003) 'Glutamate loading protects freshly isolated and perfused adult cardiomyocytes against intracellular ROS generation' Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 35, (8) 975-984 , DOI
(2001) 'Glutamate-loading Stimulates Metabolic Flux and Improves Cell Recovery Following Chemical Hypoxia in Isolated Cardiomyocyte' Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 33, (12) 2109-2119 , DOI
(2001) 'Glutamate-loading stimulates metabolic flux and improves cell recovery following chemical hypoxia in isolated cardiomyocytes' JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY 33, (12) 2109-2119 , DOI
(2001) 'Characteristics of ?-aspartate transport and expression of EAAC-1 in sarcolemmal vesicles and isolated cells from rat heart' Cardiovascular Research 52, (1) 84-94 , DOI
(1998) 'Effect of regular training on the myocardial and plasma concentrations of taurine and?-amino acids in thoroughbred horses' Amino Acids 15, (3) 241-251 , DOI
(1998) 'Characteristics of l -alanine transport in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles and into isolated cardiac myocytes' Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology 436, (3) 384-390 , DOI
(1993) 'Co-expression of an anion conductance pathway with Na+-glucose cotransport in rat renal brush-border membrane vesicles' Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology 423, (5-6) 406-410 , DOI
Books
Editor:
RT-PCR Protocols: 2nd Ed (2010). For the series Methods in Molecular Biology. Springer Protocols, Humana Press, New Jersey, USA. ISBN: 978-1-60761-628.3
Chapters
King N. (2012) "The human body: a nutrition perspective" in Wardlaw's Nutrition. 1st Australia/New Zealand Edition. Ed GM Wardlaw and AM Smith. McGrawHill, Sydney, Australia. ISBN: 9781743071465
King N. (2007). "Amino acids and mitochondria" in Mitochondria: the dynamic organelle for the series Avances in Biochemistry in Health and Disease. Ed S Schaffer and M-S Suleiman. Springer, New York, USA. ISBN: 9780387699448
Conference Papers
(2005) 'Mechanisms underlying the upregulation of cysteine uptake by oxidative stress in isolated cardiac myocytes' 189-189
(2001) 'Source of the reactive oxygen species released during reperfusion of single rat ventricular myocytes following a simulated hypoxia' 83P-83P
(2001) 'Isolation of rat ventricular myocytes in the presence of glutamate protects against free radical production during simulated hypoxia and reoxgenation' 23P-23P
(2000) 'Expression and characterisation of the aspartate transporter EAAC1 in isolated rat cardiac myocytes' 35P-36P
(2000) 'Characteristics of L-aspartate uptake into sarcolemmal vesicles prepared from rat hearts' 84P-85P
(1997) 'Characteristics of L-leucine transport into sarcolemmal vesicles and isolated cardiac myocytes prepared from rat heart' P73-P73
(1996) 'Co-expression of a chloride conductance with sodium-glucose co-transport in brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from mouse kidneys in which the CFTR gene has been disrupted' P87-P87
(1996) 'Sodium-dependent transport of L-alanine into sarcolemmal vesicles isolated from sheep left ventricle' P24-P25
(1993) 'COEXISTENCE OF AN ANION CONDUCTANCE AND NA-GLUCOSE COTRANSPORT IN RAT RENAL BRUSH-BORDER MEMBRANE-VESICLES INVITRO' P369-P369
Other Publications
King N., & Smart N (2008) Report on joint British Cardiac and British Society for Cardiovascular Research (BSCR) Conference. The Bulletin (BSCR) 21:16-20.
King N (2007) Postcard from Brunei. The Bulletin (BSCR) 20:19-22