Dr. Armando received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and postdoctoral training at the University of London, UK, and the National Institute of Health, USA. She held a position as Senior Investigator of the National Research Council (Argentina) before joining Dr. Jose’s group in 2004.
Dr. Armando has considerable expertise the physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry of the stress response and in central and peripheral mechanisms of regulation of blood pressure, in particular, the role of the renal dopaminergic system which has been her primary research interest for several years.
Dr. Armando has authored more than 110 original papers in high quality journals and about 20 reviews and book chapters. Her research and contributions have been recognized by a number of awards including several national and international grants, and memberships in Advisory Boards and Organizing Committees of several international scientific meetings.
She is currently funded by the NIH to determine the role of dopamine D2 receptors in the regulation of renal inflammation and injury. Specifically, her project aims to establish whether deficient function of the dopamine D2 receptor enhances the inflammatory reaction and is a key factor in the development of renal injury.
Ibarra F, Aguirre J, Nowicki S, Barontini M, Arrizurieta E, Armando I. Demethylation of 3-O-methyldopa in the kidney: a possible source for dopamine in the urine. Am J Physiol 270(5 Pt 2): F862-F868, 1996.
Aguirre JA, Ibarra FR, Barontini M, Arrizurieta EE, Armando I. Effect of glucocorticoids on renal dopamine production. Eur J Pharmacol 370 (3):271-278, 1999.
Carranza A, Nowicki S, Barontini M, Armando I. L-DOPA uptake and Dopamine production in proximal tubular cells are regulated by β2 adrenergic receptors. Am J Physiol 279 (1): F77-F83, 2000.
Armando I, Wang X, Villar VAM, Jones JE, Asico LD, Escano C, Jose PA. Reactive Oxygen species-dependent hypertension in dopamine D2-receptor deficient mice. Hypertension 49(3):672-8, 2007.
Li H, Armando I, Yu P, Escano C, Mueller SC, Asico L, Wang X, Villar VA, Jones JE, Wang Z, Periasamy A, Lau YS, Soares-da-Silva P, Creswell K, Guillemette G, Sibley D, Eisner G, Felder RA, Jose PA. D5 dopamine receptor mediates AT1 angiotensin receptor degradation via ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. J Clin Invest 118(6):2180-9, 2008.
Asico L, Zhang X, Jiang J, Cabrera D, Escano CS, Sibley DR, Wang X, Yang Y, Mannon R, Jones JE, Armando I, Jose PA. Lack of Renal Dopamine D5 Receptors Promotes Hypertension. Am Soc Nephrol. 22:82-89, 2011. PMC3014037
Cuevas S, Zhang Y, Yang Y, Escano C, Asico L, Jones JE, Armando I, Jose PA. Role of Renal DJ-1 in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension Associated With Increased Reactive Oxygen Species Production. Hypertension. 59(2):446-52, 2012. PMC3395064
Zhang Y, Cuevas S, Asico LD, Escano C, Yang Y, Pascua AM, Wang X, Jones JE, Grandy D, Eisner G, Jose PA, Armando I.Deficient dopamine D2 receptor function causes renal inflammation independently of high blood pressure. PLoS One. 2012 ; 7(6):e38745.
Villar VA, Jones JE, Armando I, Asico LD, Escano CS Jr, Lee H, Wang X, Yang Y, Pascua-Crusan AM, Palmes-Saloma CP, Felder RA, Jose PA. Sorting nexin 1 loss results in D5 dopamine receptor dysfunction in human renal proximal tubule cells and hypertension in mice. J Biol Chem. 2012 Nov 14 (doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.428458).
Villar VA, Armando I, Sanada H, Frazer LC, Russo CM, Notario PM, Lee H, Comisky L, Russell HA, Yang Y, Jurgens JA, Jose PA, Jones JE. Novel role of sorting nexin 5 in renal D1 dopamine receptor trafficking and function: implications for hypertension. FASEB J. 2012 Published online Nov 29.