Home > Physicians > McMahon, Timothy J.

Timothy J. McMahon, MD, PhD

Timothy J. McMahon, MD, PhD

Department / Division:
Medicine / Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care

Address:
DUMC 103003
106 Research Drive
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
Not accepting new patients

Office Telephone:
919-286-6946 (VA) or 919-684-0321 (Duke)

Fax Telephone:
919-416-5847 (VA) or 919-684-5266 (Duke)

Training:
  • MD, Tulane University School of Medicine (Louisiana), 1993

Residency:
  • Internal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 1993-1996
  • Pulmonary and Critical Care, Duke University Medical Center, 1996-1999

Other Degrees:
  • PhD, Pharmacology, Tulane University (Louisiana), 1992

Clinical Interests:
Pulmonary and critical care medicine

Research Interests:
My NIH-funded research laboratory at Duke is investigating the oxygen-regulated vasoactivity of the red blood cell (RBC). The regulated binding and release of NO by RBC hemoglobin within the respiratory cycle accounts for critical physiological adaptations such as blood flow increases in hypoxia.  In the lung, S-nitrosothiols (SNOs, a bioactive form of NO) derived from RBCs modulate blood flow and promote oxygen uptake. We have shown deficiency of RBC (S)NO bioactivity in patients with pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemia, and therapeutic benefit with NO donors that replete RBC SNOs in these patients and in model animals. My lab's scientific focus is to use basic and translational approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms by which the RBC transduces changes in oxygen tension into blood flow control in health and disease, particularly in the lung. Disease states driving this research include acute and chronic lung diseases such as transfusion-related lung disease and deaths, sickle cell disease, and pulmonary hypertension.

Representative Publications:
Sonveaux P, Lobysheva II, Feron O, McMahon TJ. Transport and peripheral bioactivities of nitrogen oxides carried by red blood cell hemoglobin: role in oxygen delivery.  Physiology (Bethesda).  2007 Apr;22:97-112. Free access via "Recent Articles" at bottom of the following URL:
http://pulmonary.duke.edu/ (2007) Abstract

Sonveaux P, Lobysheva II, Feron O, McMahon TJ. Transport and peripheral bioactivities of nitrogen oxides carried by red blood cell hemoglobin: role in oxygen delivery. Physiology (Bethesda). 2007 Apr;22:97-112. (2007) Abstract

Bennett-Guerrero E, Veldman TH, Doctor A, Telen MJ, Ortel TL, Reid TS, Mulherin MA, Zhu H, Buck RD, Califf RM, McMahon TJ. Evolution of adverse changes in stored RBCs.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2007 Oct 23;104(43):17063-17068. (2007) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Doctor A. Extrapulmonary effects of inhaled nitric oxide: role of reversible S-nitrosylation of erythrocytic hemoglobin. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2006 Apr;3(2):153-60. (2006) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Ahearn GS, Moya MP, Gow AJ, Huang YC, Luchsinger BP, Nudelman R, Yan Y, Krichman AD, Bashore TM, Califf RM, Singel DJ, Piantadosi CA, Tapson VF, Stamler JS. A nitric oxide processing defect of red blood cells created by hypoxia: deficiency of S-nitrosohemoglobin in pulmonary hypertension. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Oct 11;102(41):14801-6. (2005) Abstract

McMahon TJ. Hemoglobin and nitric oxide. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jul 24;349(4):402-5; author reply 402-5. (2003) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Moon RE, Luschinger BP, Carraway MS, Stone AE, Stolp BW, Gow AJ, Pawloski JR, Watke P, Singel DJ, Piantadosi CA, Stamler JS. Nitric oxide in the human respiratory cycle. Nat Med. 2002 Jul;8(7):711-7. (2002) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Stone AE, Bonaventura J, Singel DJ, Stamler JS. Functional coupling of oxygen binding and vasoactivity in S-nitrosohemoglobin.  J Biol Chem.  2000 Jun 2;275(22):16738-45. (2000) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Stamler JS. Concerted nitric oxide/oxygen delivery by hemoglobin. Methods Enzymol. 1999;301:99-114. (1999) Abstract

Stamler JS, Jia L, Eu JP, McMahon TJ, Demchenko IT, Bonaventura J, Gernert K, Piantadosi CA. Blood flow regulation by S-nitrosohemoglobin in the physiological oxygen gradient. Science. 1997 Jun 27;276(5321):2034-7. (1997) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Ignarro LJ, Kadowitz PJ. Influence of Zaprinast on vascular tone and vasodilator responses in the cat pulmonary vascular bed. J Appl Physiol. 1993 Apr;74(4):1704-11. (1993) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Hood JS, Kadowitz PJ. Pulmonary vasodilator response to vagal stimulation is blocked by N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in the cat. Circ Res. 1992 Feb;70(2):364-9. (1992) Abstract

McMahon TJ, Hood JS, Bellan JA, Kadowitz PJ. N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester selectively inhibits pulmonary vasodilator responses to acetylcholine and bradykinin. J Appl Physiol. 1991 Nov;71(5):2026-31. (1991) Abstract