Timothy Regnault, PhD


Children’s Health Research Institute
Scientist, Fetal and Newborn Health Program


Lawson Health Research Institute
Scientist, Children’s Health Research Institute

University of Western Ontario
Assistant Professor, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Physiology & Pharmacology.


Contact Information
Tel: (519) 646-6000 Ext. 61446
Fax: (519) 646-6213
E-mail: tim.regnault@uwo.ca


Brief Biography

Dr. Timothy Regnault received his Bachelor of Rural Science (Honours II.1) degree from the University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia in 1988. In 1991, Dr. Regnault entered into his doctorate studies at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Hawkesbury in conjunction with The Division of Animal Production, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Prospect, New South Wales, Australia. During this time Dr. Regnault worked under the supervision of Drs. Rex Scaramuzzi, Hutton Oddy, Colin Nancarrow and Sri Sriskandarajah and was the recipient of a CSIRO/UWS PhD Scholarship. Upon completion of his PhD studies in 1996 he joined the Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC), Denver, Colorado (USA) as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Drs. Fredrick Battaglia, Randal Wilkening and Russ Anthony.


In the late nineties, Dr. Regnault received an appointment as Instructor, and in 2000 was appointed to the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UCHSC. Dr. Regnault was appointed the Assistant Director of the Perinatal Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, UCHSC in 2001. He joined The University of Western Ontario as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pharmacology & Physiology in 2005.


Research Interests

• fetoplacental and maternal metabolism associated with fetal growth restriction

• mechanisms involved in the development of placental insufficiency (PI) and fetal adaptations to PI

• fetal oxygen and the interaction with nutrient transport systems, specifically the regulation of amino acid

transport systems and the role of fetal methylation/acetylation status in overall nutrient utilization

 

Research Activities

Dr. Regnault’s research focuses on nutrient transport systems and the molecular mechanisms involved, with a particular emphasis on fetoplacental oxygenation and placental/hepatic/renal/muscle amino acid transport in FGR. In human and animal studies, periods of low oxygen content in the developing fetus have been associated with changes in fetal essential amino acid (EAA) concentrations, suggestive of EAA losses from fetal tissue beds, or reduced EAA utilization. In support of this idea, is that low fetal oxygen content is associated with reduced overall fetal development and growth. Furthermore, there are now reports that reduced fetal muscle development is associated with altered glucose and fatty acid utilization, leading to a predisposition for the development insulin resistance and obesity in later life, or what is commonly termed the Metabolic Syndrome.

 

Awards and Recognition

Funding in support of "The effects of an endotoxin challenge upon fetal muscle lysine transport" - Awarded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

 

Funding in support of " The molecular mecahnisms of hypoxic induced impaired amino acid transport in fetal growth restriction" - Awarded by Lawson Health Research Institute

 

Funding in support of " The hypoxic induced cellular release of the amino acid osmolyte, taurine: Regulation and interaction with cellular hypoxia induced apoptosis in a fetal guinea pig model of growth restriction" - Awarded by University of Western Ontario

 

Funding in support of " The impact of dietary fatty acids on inflammation during pregnancy, lactation and fetal development" - Awarded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

 

Publications

  1. Rhodes J., Regnault T.R.H.  and Anthony, R.V. Angiogenesis, Chapter 9 In: Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 4th Edition. Eds R.A. Polin, W.W. Fox and S. Abman. (submitted)
  2. Hay W.W. Jr and Regnault T.R.H.  Fetal requirements and placental transfer of nitrogenous compounds, Chapter 52. In: Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 4th Edition. Eds R.A. Polin, W.W. Fox and S. Abman. (submitted)
  3. Brown  L., Regnault T.R.H., Rozance P., Barry J., and Hay W.W. Jr. Maternal-fetal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. Chapter 4. In: Pregnancy and Fetal Growth: Macronutrients, 1st Edition. Eds M. Symonds and E. Ramsay. (submitted)
  4. Wright C.D., Orbus R.J., Regnault T.R.H. and Anthony R.V. (2008). Effects of early gestation growth hormone administration on placental and fetal development in sheep. Journal of Endocrinology.198(1):91-9
  5. Rozance P.J., Limesand S.W., Barry J.S., Brown L.D., LoTurco D., Regnault T.R.H., Friedman J.E. and Hay W.W Jr. 200 Chronic late gestation hypoglycemia in fetal sheep reversibly increases PEPCK and Glucose-6-phosphatase but does not deplete hepatic glycogen. American Journal of Physiology; Endocrinology and Metabolism. 294(2):E365-70.
  6. Ziebell, BT, Arroyo, J.A., Anthony R.V., Regnault T.R.H., Parker T.A., Galan, H.L. (2007). Ovine Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Message: Ontogeny and Effect of HT in an IUGR Model: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 197(4):420.e1-5.
  7. Regnault T.R.H., de Vrijer, B., Galan, H.L., Battaglia, F.C., Wilkening, R.B. and Meschia G. (2007). Development and mechanisms of fetal hypoxia in severe fetal growth restriction. Placenta. 28(7):714-23
  8. Lea, R.G., Wooding P., Stewart I., Hannah L.T.,  Morton S., Wallace K., Aitken R.P., Milne J.S., Regnault T.R., Anthony R.V.,  and Wallace J.M. (2007). The expression of ovine placental lactogen, StAR and progesterone associated steroidogenic enzymes in placentae of over-nourished growing adolescent ewes. Reproduction. 133(4): 785-796
  9. de Vrijer B, Davidsen ML, Wilkening RB, Anthony RV, Regnault TRH. Fetal and placental expression of IGFs and IGFBPs in early and mid gestation fetal sheep in a model of placental insufficiency – intra-uterine growth restriction. Pediatric Research. 60(5):507-12. Epub 2006 Sep 11.
  10. Regnault TRH, de Vrijer B, Galan HL, Battaglia FC, Wilkening RB, Meschia G. Development and mechanisms of fetal hypoxia in severe fetal growth restriction. Placenta. Sep 6; [Epub ahead of print].
  11. Barry JS, Davidsen ML, Limesand SW, Friedman JE, Regnault TRH, Hay WW Jr. (2006). Effects of intrauterine growth restriction on fetal ovine myocardial growth, glucose transporter and insulin signal transduction proteins. Experimental Medicine and Biology. 231(5):566-75.
  12. Hagen AS, Orbus RJ, Wilkening RB, Regnault TRH, Anthony RV. (2005). Placental Expression of Angiopoietin 1, Angiopoietin 2 and Tie 2 during Placental Development in an Ovine Model of Placental Insufficiency - Fetal Growth Restriction. Pediatric Research. 58:1228-1232.
  13. Galan HL, Anthony RV, Rigano S, Hobbins J, Ferrazzi E, de Vrijer B, Wilkening RB, Regnault TRH. (2005). Fetal hypertension and abnormal Doppler velocimetry in an ovine model of intrauterine growth restriction. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 192:272-279.
  14. de Vrijer B, Regnault TRH, Meschia G, Wilkening RB, Battaglia FC. (2004). Placental uptake and transport of the neutral non metabolizable amino acid, aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (ACP), in an ovine model of FGR. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism. 287:E1114-E1124.
  15. Regnault TRH, de Vrijer B, Galan HL, Davidsen ML, Trembler KA, Battaglia FC, Wilkening RB, Anthony RV. (2003). The relationship between transplacental O2 diffusion and expression of PlGF, VEGF and their receptors in a placental insufficiency model of fetal growth restriction. Journal of Physiology. 550(2):641-656.