Project Scientist, Medicine
School of Medicine

Neural mechanisms of acupuncture, central and peripheral neuroregulation of cardiovascular function, hypertension, interplay between autonomic nervous and immune systems, nociceptor, cardiac sensory nerve, sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.

Fu Research area

UCI Faculty Career Development Award
American Heart Association, Postdoctoral Fellowship

My research interests are to investigate the mechanisms of cardiac sympathetic afferents activation and the associated central nervous system (CNS) reflex processing as well as modulation of electroacupuncture (EA) on CNS regulation of cardiovascular function. Studies of cardiac afferents activation are funded by a NIH grant (serve as CO-PI ). In these studies, I am investigating the mechanisms of activation and sensitization of cardiac afferents induced by multiple ischemic mediators including endothelins, thromboxane A2, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), histamine, lactic acid (protons), reactive oxygen species and bradykinin (BK), which stimulate and/or sensitize cardiac spinal afferents during ischaemia and reperfusion in an interactive and multifactorial fashion. I am also studying the mechanisms underlying CNS reflex processing evoked by ischemic metabolites during myocardial ischemia.

With respect to studies of the mechanisms of EA-modulated CNS regulation of cardiovascular function, funded by another NIH grant (as CO-investigator), I am studying the neurotransmitters dynamic mechanisms in the cardiovascular regulating centers of the brain including hypothalamus, midbrain and medulla, underlying modulation of EA on visceral sympathoexcitatory reflexes induced by chemical and mechanic stimuli. Currently, I am defining the mechanism of EA modulates sympathoexcitatory reflex responses through inhibition of the midbrain ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) release of ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but not glutamate, through presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptor mechanism.

Fu, L-W., Gong, Y., Nguyen, A., Guo, Z-L., Tjen-A-Looi, S. C Malik, S.: Sympathoinhibitory Electroacupuncture (EA) Interacts Positively with Anti-Inflammatory EA Alleviating Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Rats. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2023 (Accepted)

Tjen-A-Looi S, Fu L-W, Guo Z-L, Gong Y., Nguyen A, Nguyen AP and Malik S. Neurogenic hypotension and bradycardia modulation by electroacupuncture in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2022;16:934752. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.934752. eCollection 2022. PMCID: PMC9361000

Fu, L-W., Tjen-A-Looi, S. C., Barvarz, S., Guo, Z-L., Malik, S.: Role of opioid receptors in modulation of P2X receptors-mediated cardiac sympathoexcitatory reflex response. Sci. Rep. 9, 17224; doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53754-6. 2019. PMCID: PMC6868205

Guo Z-L, Fu L-W, Su H-F, Tjen-A-Looi S, and Longhurst JC. Role of TRPV1 in Acupuncture Modulation of Reflex Excitatory Cardiovascular Responses. American Journal of Physiology 314:R655-666, 2018. PMCID: PMC6008114.

Tjen-A-Looi S, Fu L-W, Guo Z-L, and Longhurst JC. Modulation of Neurally Mediated Vasodepression and Bradycardia by Electroacupuncture through Opioids in Nucleus Tractus Solitarius. Scientific Reports; 8, 1900; doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-19672-9, 2018. PMCID: PMC5789879.

Guo, Z-L, Longhurst JC, Tjen-A-Looi SC and Fu L-W. elPBN neurons regulate rVLM activity through elPBN-rVLM projections during activation of cardiac sympathetic afferent nerves. American Journal of Physiology; 311:R410-425, 2016. PMCID: PMC5008663.

Tjen-A-Looi, S, Guo Z-L, Fu L-W, Longhurst JC. Paraventricular Nucleus Modulates Excitatory Cardiovascular Reflexes during Electroacupuncture. Scientific Reports; 6, 25910; doi:10.1038 /srep25910, 2016. PMCID: PMC4867624.

Fu L-W and Longhurst JC. Functional role of peripheral opioid receptors in regulation of cardiac spinal afferent activity during myocardial ischemia American Journal of Physiology 305: H76-H85, 2013

Fu L-W, Guo, Z-L and Longhurst JC. Ionotropic glutamate receptors in the external lateral parabrachial nucleus participate in processing cardiac sympathoexcitatory reflexes. American Journal of Physiology 302: H1444-1453, 2012

Fu L-W and Longhurst JC. A new function for ATP: activating cardiac sympathetic afferents during myocardial ischemia. American Journal of Physiology 299: H1762-1771, 2010.

Fu L-W , Guo, Z-L and Longhurst JC. Endogenous endothelin stimulates cardiac sympathetic afferents during ischemia. Journal of Physiology. 588: 2473-86, 2010.

Fu L-W and Longhurst JC. Electroacupuncture Modulates vlPAG Release of GABA through Presynaptic Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor, J Appl Physiol 106, 106:1800-9, 2009

Zhou W, Fu LW, Guo ZL, Longhurst JC. Role of glutamate in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in acupuncture-related modulation of visceral reflex sympathoexcitation. Am J Physiol. 292:H1868-75, 2007

Fu L-W and Longhurst JC. Interactions between histamine and bradykinin in stimulation of ischaemically sensitive cardiac afferents. Journal of Physiology 565: 1007-1017, 2005.

Zhou W, Fu L-W, Tjen-A-Looi SC, Li P, and Longhurst J. C.: Afferent Mechanisms Underlying Stimulation Modality-Related Modulation of Acupuncture-Related Cardiovascular Responses. J Appl Physiol 98 (3):872-880, 2005.

Fu, L-W , W Schunack and JC Longhurst: Histamine contributes to ischemia-related activation of cardiac spinal afferents: role of H1 receptors and PKC. Journal of Neurophysiology. 93:713-722, 2005.

Fu, L-W and JC Longhurst: Role of activated platelets in excitation of cardiac afferents during ischmia in cats. American Journal of Physiology. 282:H100-H109, 2002.

Fu L-W, and JC Longhurst: Interleukin 1ß sensitized abdominal visceral afferents of cat to ischemia and histamine. Journal of Physiology 521:249-260,1999.

Fu, L-W, CA O'Neill and JC Longhurst: Increased histamine and 5-HT in portal vein plasma and mesenteric lymph during brief ischemia and reperfusion. American Journal of Physiology, 273: H1135-H1141, 1997.

Tjen-A-Looi, SC, Fu L-W, Nguyen AT, Gong Y. and Malik S. Autonomic Function and Electroacupuncture. Chapter, Advanced Acupuncture Research: From Bench to Bedside 2022. ISBN : 978-3-030-96220-3.

Longhurst JC and Fu L-W. Cardiac and other visceral afferents. In Primer on the Autonomic Nervous System, 3rd edition, ed. D Robertson, P Low, G Burnstock and I Biaggioni. Elsevier, Pp 171-175, 2012.

Fu L-W and Longhurst JC. Regulation of Cardiac Afferent Excitability in Ischemia. In Sensory Nerves. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, ed. Canning BJ, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 194: 185-225, 2009.

Longhurst JC, SC Tjen-A-Looi, and L-W Fu: Cardiac sympathetic afferent activation provoked by myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Mechanisms and reflexes.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 940:74-95, 2001. Review.

"Mechanisms of Cardiac Afferents Activation and CNS reflex processing," National Institute of Health. R01- HL66217

Role of Platelets in Activation of Cardiac Afferents: Potential Mechanisms," AHA, Western States Affiliate. Begining Gran-in-Aid

Neuroimmune mechanisms underlying EA effect on vascular function. --National Institutes of Health, R01- AT011306

“Bill Coors Acupuncture Protocol” in treating hypertension in men and women -- Adolph Coors Foundation Board of Trustees (Gift Fund)

American Heart Association

Society for Neuroscience

American Physiological Society

Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5189

Last updated
05/18/2023