Leandro Bueno Bergantin

Biography

Dr. Bergantin received his academic education at EPM-UNIFESP (Brazil) and UAM (Spain): Degree in biomedicine (2008), MSc (2010) and PhD (2014). His research work solved the enigma of the paradoxical effects produced by L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (TOP 25 Hottest Articles - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology - Cell Calcium - TOP 1 July to September 2013/ TOP 5 October to December 2013/ TOP 1 January to December 2013 full year/TOP 6 January to March 2014). Since 1975, several clinical and experimental studies have reported that acute and chronic administration of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (CCB), such as nifedipine, produces reduction in arterial pressure associated with a paradoxical increase of sympathetic activity. Despite this sympathetic hyperactivity has been initially attributed to adjust reflex of arterial pressure, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in this apparent sympathomimetic effect of the Ltype CCB remained unclear for decades. In 2013, Dr. Bergantin and collaborators discovered that this paradoxical increase in sympathetic activity produced by L-type CCB is due to interaction of the Ca2+/cAMP signaling pathways. Then, the pharmacological manipulation of the Ca2+/cAMP interaction produced by combination of the L-type CCB used in the antihypertensive therapy, and cAMP accumulating compounds used in the antidepressive therapy, could represent a potential cardiovascular risk for hypertensive patients due to increase in sympathetic activity. In contrast, this pharmacological manipulation could be a new therapeutic strategy for increasing neurotransmission in psychiatric disorders, and producing neuroprotection in the neurodegenerative diseases (Bergantin and Caricati-Neto, 2016 Eur J Pharmacol; Caricati-Neto et al., 2015 Pharm Res Perspect). Dr. Bergantin has published several articles in international journals (> 30), book chapters and an international book. He is member of several editorial boards of international journals (> 40, including editor-in-chief of 2 international journals). Dr. Bergantin has been frequently invited (every week) to be honorable guest (speaker) in international conferences.

Research Interest

Neuropsychopharmacology, autonomic and cardiovascular pharmacology, cell signaling mediated by Ca2+ and cAM.