Suzanne Nicholas, M.D., PhD. Assistant Professor of Medicine University of California, Los Angeles Division of Nephrology and Division Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension 900 Veteran Avenue, Ste. 24-130 Warren Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-7073 Phone: (310) 794-7555 E-mail: sunicholas@mednet.ucla.edu

Dr. Nicholas’ interests are in the areas of diabetic nephropathy and cardiac hypertrophy.  Diabetes can cause significant microvascular and macrovascular disease. Forty percent of persons with Type I diabetes and 30-40% of persons with Type II diabetes develop the renal microvascular complication of diabetes known as diabetic nephropathy. Once this develops the disease inevitably progresses to renal failure making diabetes the most common cause of end stage renal disease in the United States. While it is still possible to delay this progression with tight glucose and blood pressure management, there is still no cure. Therefore, the goal of the research is to uncover potential mechanisms involved in this progression that can serve as therapeutic targets. As part of the pathology, the glomerular mesangium expands so that it severely reduces glomerular capillary blood flow and glomerular filtration due to extensive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). They form the pathologic lesion known as diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is an important enzyme inhibitor that is significantly upregulated in the diabetic milieu. This increase in PAI-1 transcription correlates with an increase in fibrosis. The goal of this laboratory is to identify and ultimatley target the gene promoter regulatory mechanisms that control PAI-1 expression in rat and human. This involves in vitro transfection, site-directed mutagenesis using PCR, Northern blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift analysis as well as in vivo experiments in animals and eventually in human.

Dr. Nicholas’ clinical interest is in the management of hypertension and lipid abnormalities and all forms of renal disease. I run the hypertension aspect of the clinic and especially see patients with diabetic nephropathy and lipid abnormalities due to renal disease, and post-transplant hyperlipidemia. I am currently one of the directors of the Monday morning Hypertension and Lipid Management Clinic located in the 100 Medical Plaza Bldg. Room 255. The clinic is also a site for conducting clinical research related to lipid disorders.