How muscle reflexes and antioxidants affect walking pain and blood pressure in peripheral artery disease
Official title: Nrf2 and the exaggerated Exercise Pressor Reflex in Peripheral Arterial Disease
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11237160 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project seeks to find out whether blocking a muscle nerve reflex and boosting the Nrf2 antioxidant system can reduce blood pressure spikes, improve muscle blood flow, and ease walking pain for people with peripheral artery disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | December 11, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $614,944 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171602-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237160 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with peripheral arterial disease who experience intermittent claudication (walking-induced leg pain and limited walking ability) would be the most relevant candidates for related future human studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without PAD or whose leg pain comes from non-vascular causes (for example, arthritis or certain nerve disorders) are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a rat model that mimics peripheral artery disease to reproduce the walking-related leg pain and measure heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle blood flow during static and dynamic exercise. They will compare animals with PAD to sham controls and score pain-related behaviors to see how an exaggerated muscle reflex links to reduced blood flow and pain. The team will use a targeted drug (resiniferatoxin) to silence the TRPV1-containing muscle afferent reflex and test whether this improves muscle perfusion and lowers reflex-driven blood pressure rises. They will also study the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway to see whether modifying it protects muscle and reduces the reflex response that may lead to claudication.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that reduce exercise-induced blood pressure spikes and leg pain so people with PAD can walk farther and have better quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies targeting TRPV1-expressing muscle afferents and modulating Nrf2 have shown promising effects on reflex activity and tissue protection, but these strategies have not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
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University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Hanjun — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wang, Hanjun
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.