Scientific topics
Keywords
Georges Christé PhD Physiology
Course and current status
1976-79 Doctorand at Laboratoire de Physiologie des Eléments Excitables (LP2E), Univ. Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 (UCBL) (Pr. O. Rougier).
1981, Postdoctoral stay at Pr. Gerrit ISENBERG (II Physiologishes Institut Saarland). Supported by "Deutsche Forschung Gemeinshaft"
1982 à 1984, Post-doc at LP2E, UCBL (Hoechst Research Contract on Molsidomine).
1984-1998 Position of "Chargé de Recherches" at the INSTITUT NATIONAL de la SANTÉ et de la RECHERCHE MÉDICALE (INSERM) in Unit 121: "Electrical activity of the Heart".
1989, 6 months collaboration at Dept of Medical Physiology, (Dir. Dr. Wayne GILES, Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Supported by INSERM-Canadian MRC grant.
1999-2002, "Groupe d'Electrophysiologie Moléculaire" (Pr. Jean VERDETTI), Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble.
2003-2004: "Laboratoire de Développement et Vieillissement de l'Endothélium" INSERM EMI 0219 (Dr. Philippe HUBER), CEA Grenoble.
2005-2010: Work with Pr. Philippe Chevalier at EA 4771 (Pr. Paul Rubel), UCBL .
2011: NeuroCardiology Unit (Pr. Philippe Chevalier), UCBL.
Scientific summary
I did my thesis work on 'Effects of low potassium on human cardiac tissues' (1979) and published on "Effects of low K+ and TTX on human cardiac ventricular and Purkinje cells" (1983).
I have explored various aspects of cell cardiac physiology:
- Role of Na+ ion on cardiac EC coupling;
- Transient permeabilisation of the cardiac membrane by large hyperpolarizations;
- Use-dependent interactions of 4-AP with the Ito current;
- Differential propafenone block of the IKATP channel in atrial and ventricular cardiac myocytes. Effects of diabetes and of metformin on cardiac ionic currents (Thesis Rémi Forrat).
- Negative chronotropic effect of endothelin-1 in isolated sino-atrial cells (with K. Ono, Japan).
- Absence of cardiac ischemia with brain death in pigs as explored using monophasic action potentials.
I was among the first to provide evidence in 1999 for the localization of IK1 and IKATP channels in the transverse-axial tubular system of cardiomyocytes (TATS).
I also was interested by computer modelling of cardiac cellular functions:
- Frequency dependent changes in contraction;
- Contribution to a cardiac cell model incorporating the TATS, used to quantify activity dependent depletion of Ca2+ and accumulation of K+ in the TATS.
- Evaluation of proarrhythmogenic effects of Na+ overload in gain-of-function mutations of SCN5A in a computer model of cardiomyocyte.
In collaboration with Mohamed Chahine, Québec, I study the functionality of proarrhythmogenic mutations of SCN5A and HERG experimentatlly and in a computer model.
I am a member of the French Physiological Society, the Biophysical Society and of the International board of the bisannual BIOSIGNAL conference. Editor at "Frontiers in Physiology". Member of the board of the "Institut de Médecine Théorique" (IMTh, Lyon).
