Professional Summary
Rita Loch-Caruso is a toxicologist with a research focus in female reproductive toxicology and, in particular, mechanisms of toxicity related to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as premature birth. In addition to university-related activities, she has served on numerous local, state and national committees including the City of Ann Arbor Environmental Commission, NIH grant review panels, and the Institute of Medicine Committee on Understanding Premature Birth and Assuring Healthy Outcomes. She is a participating faculty member in the Environmental Toxicology, Reproductive Sciences, Pharmacological Sciences, and Cellular and Molecular Basis of Systems and Integrative Biology graduate and postdoctoral training programs.
Courses Taught
EHS623: Mechanisms of Reproductive Toxicology
ENVIRON 310: Environmental Chemicals and Diseases
Education
Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Cincinnati, 1982
B.A., Psychology, University of Cincinnati, 1976
B.S., Biology, University of Cincinnati, 1976
Research Interest & Projects
Only recently has attention, and scarce at that, been given to the potential role that environmental chemicals may play in the rising rates of birth complications such as preterm birth, prolonged or dysfunctional parturition, and uterine atony. Dr. Loch Caruso's laboratory has shown how several environmentally persistent toxicants, such as lindane, PCBs and DDT, modify uterine, placental and amnion functions that regulate parturition. Her research investigations include molecular, biochemical, cellular, tissue and whole animal approaches.
PCB Effects on Uterine Muscle
Principal Investigator: Loch Caruso, R.
Sponsor: Michigan State University Superfund/NIH
This project is investigating mechanisms by which PCBs disrupt uterine muscle function, including disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis, membrane potential, oxidative stress and gap junction proteins.
Elizabeth Crosby Research Award
Principal Investigator: Loch Caruso, R.
Sponsor: NSF ADVANCE Project, University of Michigan
This award provides support for preliminary experiments investigating 1) a 50 kDa iPLA2-related protein, recently identified by us in rat uterus and human amnion, and its role in stimulation of late gestation uterus by certain environmental contaminants; and 2) the role of toxicant-induced oxidative stress modulation of myometrial gap junctions as a mechanism of disruption of uterine contraction.
Selected Publications
Brant, K., Guan, W., Tithof, T. and Caruso, R. Loch (May, 2006). Gestation age-related increase in 50 kDa rat uterine calcium-independent phospholipase A2 expression influences uterine sensitivity to polychlorinated biphenyl stimulation Biology of Reproduction, 874-880.
Chung, D. and Caruso, R. Loch (2005). 2,2'-Dichlorobiphenyl decreases amplitude and synchronization of uterine contractions through MAPK-mediated phosphorylation of GJA1 (Connexin43) and inhibition of myometrial gap junctions. Biology of Reproduction, In Press.
Brant, K. and Caruso, R. Loch (2005). Late gestation rat myometrial cells express multiple isoforms of phospholipase A2 that mediate PCB 50-induced release of arachidonic acid with coincident prostaglandin production. Toxicological Sciences, In Press.
Loch-Caruso, R., Upham, B.L., Harris, C. and Trosko, K.E. (2005). Biphasic lindane-induced oxidation of glutathione and inhibition of gap junctions in myometrial cells. Toxicological Sciences, 86, 417-426.
Loch-Caruso, R., Upham, B.L., Harris, C. and Trosko, J.E. (2005). Divergent roles for glutathione in lindane-induced acute and delayed-onset inhibition of rat myometrial gap junctions. Toxicological Sciences, 85, 694-702.
Loch-Caruso, R., Galvez, M.M., Brant, K. and Chung D. (2004). Cell and toxicant specific phosphorylation of conexin43:effects of lindane and TPA on rat myometrial and WB-F344 liver cell gap junctions. Cell Biol Toxicol, In Press.
Loch-Caruso, R., Criswell, K.A., Grindatti, C.M. and Brant, K.A. (2003). Sustained inhibition of rat myometrial gap junctions and contractions by lindane. Reprod Biol Endocrinol, 1, 62.
Wang, C-T. and Loch-Caruso, R. (2002). Phospholipase-mediated inhibition of sponteanous oscillatory uterine contractions by lindane in vitro. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 182, 136-147.
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