{"id":111,"date":"2021-06-14T18:49:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T18:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/?page_id=111"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:51:08","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>Info Text &#8211; Right Hand Column Placeholder<br \/>Refresh After Saving to Remove<\/h2>\n  <h3><strong>Hinton Lab News<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li><a href=\"\/hinton-lab\/2024\/08\/14\/hinton-lab-hosts-2nd-annual-brazilian-scientific-journey-on-mitochondrial-deregulation\/\">Hinton Lab hosts 2nd Annual Brazilian Scientific Journey on Mitochondrial Deregulation<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/hinton-lab\/2024\/08\/14\/hinton-lab-featured-in-brazilian-news\/\">Hinton Lab Featured in Brazilian News<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h3><strong>Sample Research Talk<\/strong><\/h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IfSCUOVnfs4\">Video<\/a>\n      <video data-poster=\"\" preload=\"none\" controls autoplay loop muted>\n                              \n                      \n                      \n                  <track kind=\"captions\" label=\"src=\" srclang=\"default=1\" \/>\n              <\/video>\n        <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/us\/en\/home\/electron-microscopy\/products\/software-em-3d-vis\/amira-software\/cell-biology.html\">Dr. Antentor Hinton Jr, has made extensive use of Amira Software as part of his lab&#8217;s work in mitochondrial research.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Hinton laboratory at Vanderbilt has four areas of focus.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n          <h2>1. Molecular mechanisms of insulin action<\/h2>\n        <p>We focus on elucidating insulin-mediated molecular mechanisms that regulate cristae dynamics and those that regulate molecular transfer between and morphological changes of the mitochondria and the ER. These can change during pathophysiological states, such as aging, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The laboratory heavily utilizes serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, time-lapse confocal microscopy, proximity ligation assay, and transmission electron microscopy quantification to answer these seminal questions.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n      <video data-poster=\"\" preload=\"none\" controls autoplay loop muted>\n                              \n                      \n                      \n                  <track kind=\"captions\" label=\"src=\" srclang=\"default=1\" \/>\n              <\/video>\n          <h2>2. Regulation of blood pressure, baroreflex sensitivity, and stroke in the brain<\/h2>\n        <p>The goal of our research is to identify the novel neural circuits, neurotransmitters, and intracellular molecules in the brain that are critical for blood pressure, baroreflex sensitivity, and stroke. The findings of this research will identify rational targets for development of therapeutic strategies for hypertension. Specifically, we plan to generate unique mouse models using Cre-Lox recombination with genes of interest (e.g., nuclear transcription factors, ER\u03b1\/\u03b2, SRC1-3, mitochondrial gene OPA-1, and MICOS complex genes associated with cristae dynamics) manipulated in specific populations of neurons at the site of interest (i.e., medial amygdala and paraventricular nucleus). These models will be used to establish the physiological relevance of specific neural networks in the regulation of blood pressure and stroke.<\/p>\n<p>Hinton, A. O., Jr, He, Y., Xia, Y., Xu, P., Yang, Y., Saito, K., Wang, C., Yan, X., Shu, G., Henderson, A., Clegg, D. J., Khan, S. A., Reynolds, C., Wu, Q., Tong, Q., &amp; Xu, Y. (2016). Estrogen Receptor-\u03b1 in the Medial Amygdala Prevents Stress-Induced Elevations in Blood Pressure in Females. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex.: 1979), 67(6), 1321-1330. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07175<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n    <figure>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vanderbilt.edu\/t2-main\/lab-prd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/150\/2026\/04\/Blood-Pressure_2-1.png\" alt=\" \" \/>\n            <figcaption>\n        Hinton, A. O., Jr, He, Y., Xia, Y., Xu, P., Yang, Y., Saito, K., Wang, C., Yan, X., Shu, G., Henderson, A., Clegg, D. J., Khan, S. A., Reynolds, C., Wu, Q., Tong, Q., &amp; Xu, Y. (2016). Estrogen Receptor-\u03b1 in the Medial Amygdala Prevents Stress-Induced Elevations in Blood Pressure in Females. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 67(6), 1321-1330. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07175\n      <\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n        <p><strong>Figure: Effects of selective activation of medial amygdala (MeA) SIM1 neurons<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong>A<\/strong>, mCherry immunoreactivity in the MeA of SIM-Cre mice following stereotactic infection with AAV-hM3Dq-mCherry.\u00a0<strong>B<\/strong>, Electrophysiological recording from mCherry-labeled MeA SIM1 neurons in the brain slice from a SIM1-Cre mouse stereotactically infected with AAV-hM3Dq-mCherry. Fluorescence images of mCherry-labeled hM3Dq and brightfield images. Scale bars, 10 \u03bcm.\u00a0<strong>C<\/strong>, Representative action potential traces in mCherry-labeled MeA SIM1 neurons in response to bath application of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO; 10 \u03bcmol\/L). Firing frequency (<strong>D<\/strong>) and resting membrane potential (<strong>E<\/strong>) of each neuron at baseline and after CNO treatment. Temporal changes in mean arterial pressure (<strong>F<\/strong>) and heart rate (<strong>G<\/strong>) in AAV-hM3Dq-mCherry-infected SIM1-Cre mice receiving intraperitoneal injection of saline or CNO (3 mg\/kg). Data are presented as mean \u00b1 standard error of the mean (SEM); n=7 per group. *P&lt;0.05 in two-way analysis of variance followed by\u00a0<em>post hoc<\/em>Sidak tests.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n          <h2>3. Method Building for Electron Microscopy Techniques<\/h2>\n        <p>Utilization of electron microscopy (EM) in pathology diagnosis continues to be an important future avenue to explore as technology continues to advance. In the 1950s, a focus of EM utility on mitochondria began and since then there have been increased advances in diagnostic EM of biopsies. The most prominent way to characterize tissue by biopsies is to use H&amp;E and TEM staining, which allows for one to look morphologically at gross histology, but only in a 2D plane. Given these techniques are in a 2D plane, they cannot give information regarding the 3D dynamics of mitochondria. As a result, most changes in the field are based on key changes in TEM, which limits the changes in dynamics that can be used to inform the medical community about when they encounter a biopsy that may be unique. Current advances in the field such as Focus Ion Beam-Scanning EM (FIB-SEM) and Serial Block Face-Scanning EM (SBF-SEM), which enable 3D reconstruction, are extensive and require proper techniques for sample preparation, machine operation, and quantitative computer analysis. Currently, we have developed protocols for the proper measurements of the mitochondrial connectome in 3D. Our methods seek to standardize the field while offering reproducible and clear protocols.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n    <figure>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vanderbilt.edu\/t2-main\/lab-prd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/150\/2026\/04\/Figure1.png\" alt=\" \" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n        <p><strong>Figure: Schematic of\u00a0focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy.<\/strong>\u00a0Full explanation:\u00a0Marshall, A. G., Damo, S. M., &amp; Hinton, A., Jr (2023). Revisiting focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy. Trends in biochemical sciences, 48(6), 585-586. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.tibs.2023.02.005.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n          <h2>4. Investigating the Hallmarks of Aging &#8211; Mitochondrial Dysfunction<\/h2>\n        <p>We perform the generation of knockout mice models and have successfully utilized 3D reconstruction to analyze the effects of aging. Our recent contributions have elucidated the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondrial bioenergetics in obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes and the identification of novel regulation of mitochondrial integrity in the heart and skeletal muscle across aging in mouse models. Our studies have focused on elucidating insulin-mediated molecular mechanisms that regulate cristae dynamics and elucidate molecular mechanisms that regulate molecule transfer and morphology changes between the mitochondria. Our research program aims to broadly characterize mitochondrial 3D structural changes across aging states and correlate them with functional changes.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n      <video data-poster=\"\" preload=\"none\" controls autoplay loop muted>\n                              \n                      \n                      \n                  <track kind=\"captions\" label=\"src=\" srclang=\"default=1\" \/>\n              <\/video>\n        <p><strong>Video: Depiction of 2-year-old murine cardiac tissue mitochondria 3D reconstruction<\/strong>. Full results available: Vue, Z., Neikirk, K., Vang, L., Garza-Lopez, E., Christensen, T. A., Shao, J., Lam, J., Beasley, H. K., Marshall, A. G., Crabtree, A., Anudokem, J., Jr, Rodriguez, B., Kirk, B., Bacevac, S., Barongan, T., Shao, B., Stephens, D. C., Kabugi, K., Koh, H. J., Koh, A., &#8230; Hinton, A., Jr (2023). Three-dimensional mitochondria reconstructions of murine cardiac muscle changes in size across aging. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 325(5), H965-H982. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1152\/ajpheart.00202.2023.<\/p>\n <!-- rich-text -->\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Info Text &#8211; Right Hand Column PlaceholderRefresh After Saving to Remove Hinton Lab News Hinton Lab hosts 2nd Annual Brazilian Scientific Journey on Mitochondrial Deregulation Hinton Lab Featured in Brazilian News Sample Research Talk Video Dr. Antentor Hinton Jr, has made extensive use of Amira Software as part of his lab&#8217;s work in mitochondrial research. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"ACF":{"topper_style":"default","topper_overline":"","topper_title":"","topper_intro":"","default_topper_background_type":"none","footer_style":"standard","recirculation_style":"none","nav_menu":"","nav_menu_secondary":"no","page_style_option":"details","page_theme_option":"light","page_class_name":"","page_jumplinks_option":"no"},"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/Pd98bx-1N","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":374,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/about\/speaking-engagements\/","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":0},"title":"Current Speaking Engagements","author":"Stephen Doster","date":"August 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Info Text - Right Hand Column PlaceholderRefresh After Saving to Remove BiosketchBiosketchCurrent Speaking EngagementsPast Speaking EngagementsPast Speaking Engagements Photos Upcoming Talks Stony Brook University,\u00a0Department of Microbiology & Immunology, \"Guiding Greatness: Effective Leadership through Mentorship and Training\" (Jun 2024) 6th World Aging And Rejuvenation Conference,\u00a0Virtual, \"Mitochondrial Changes in the Aging Process\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/150\/2026\/04\/Hinton_speaking-engagement-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1655,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/?post_type=acf-field-group&p=1655","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":1},"title":"Home Page Options","author":"Jeffrey Kirkwood","date":"March 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"home-page-options","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/home\/","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":2},"title":"Home","author":"Digital Strategies (Div of Comm)","date":"June 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Hinton Lab group website. We use a broad range of tools to explore mechanisms that regulate molecular transfer between and changes in morphology of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and how these mechanisms are altered during the pathophysiological states of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Technical\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1877,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/home-backup\/","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":3},"title":"Home backup","author":"Gobinath Mani","date":"April 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Hinton Lab group website. We use a broad range of tools to explore mechanisms that regulate molecular transfer between and changes in morphology of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and how these mechanisms are altered during the pathophysiological states of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Technical\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":107,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/contact\/","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":4},"title":"Contact","author":"Stephen Doster","date":"June 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Info Text - Right Hand Column PlaceholderRefresh After Saving to Remove Hinton Lab Rules! Personal Twitter:\u00a0@phdgprotein86 Lab Twitter:\u00a0@AtHinton Email:\u00a0antentor.o.hinton.jr@Vanderbilt.Edu For Large Data Sets Transfer Use:\u00a0gprotein86@gmail.com Mailing Address: Dr. Antentor Othrell Hinton, Jr.Vanderbilt UniversityDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics750 Robinson Research Building2200 Pierce AveNashville, TN 37232-0615Cell Phone Number: 319-383-3095Office Phone Number:\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1964,"url":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/","url_meta":{"origin":111,"position":5},"title":"Hinton Lab","author":"Gobinath Mani","date":"April 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Private: Serial Block Facing Scanning Electron Microscopy utilized to image fly tissue in the lab. .story-list .story-list__topper { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; } Previous Next","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1999,"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111\/revisions\/1999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lab.vanderbilt.edu\/hinton-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}