Department / Division:
Medicine / Cardiology

Address:
DUMC 3022
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-660-6610

Office Telephone:
919-660-6613

Fax Telephone:
919-668-6301

• MD, Duke University School of Medicine, 1982

• Internal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 1983-1986
• Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, 1986-1988

Clinical Interests:
Cardiac rehabilitation and prevention, congestive heart failure, exercise physiology, genetics of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease

Research Interests:
Dr. Kraus’ research program  currently consists of two components:  The first is directed at a better understanding of cellular signaling pathways and mechanisms responsible for the adaptive responses of skeletal muscle to normal physiologic stimuli - such as exercise training - and to maladaptive responses to pathophysiologic stimuli -such as in congestive heart failure, skeletal muscle atrophy associated with chronic spaceflight and aging.  We are using human studies, animal models and in vitro models of exercise to address these scientific questions.  In this work, we have implicated signaling pathways involving cAMP in the responses of skeletal muscle to long term exercise training.  We have found that gene expression in skeletal muscle in congestive heart failure is altered in a maladaptive fashion consistent with less effective exercise tolerance and long term disability associated with this condition.  We have undertaken exercise training studies in human subjects designed to address questions about mechanisms of exercise training responses in skeletal muscle in normal subjects and those with chronic heart failure.  Our in vitro models are designed to explore whether mechanical deformation of skeletal muscle cells (mechanotransduction) are responsible for some of the skeletal muscle responses to changes in contractile activity.

The second area involves human investigations of genetic susceptibility to complex cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.  Our goals are several.  First is to identify genetic markers that are associated with early onset cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure so as to be able to better identify high risk subjects and those that may benefit from more aggressive preventive strategies.  We also aim to identify causative genetic loci, so as to better understand the etiology and develop new therapeutic strategies for  these conditions.


KEY WORDS:

exercise, skeletal muscle, energy metabolism, cell signaling, gene expression, cell stretch, heart failure, aging, spaceflight, human genetics, early onset cardiovascular disease

Representative Publications:
Huffman KM, Samsa GP, Slentz CA, Duscha BD, Johnson JL, Bales CW, Tanner CJ, Houmard JA, Kraus WE. Response of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to exercise training in an at-risk population. Am Heart J. 2006 Oct;152(4):793-800. (2006) Abstract

Connelly JJ, Wang T, Cox JE, Haynes C, Wang L, Shah SH, Crosslin DR, Hale AB, Nelson S, Crossman DC, Granger CB, Haines JL, Jones CJ, Vance JM, Goldschmidt-Clermont PJ, Kraus WE, Hauser ER, Gregory SG. GATA2 Is Associated with Familial Early-Onset Coronary Artery Disease. PLoS Genet. 2006 Aug 25;2(8). (2006) Abstract

Slentz CA, Aiken LB, Houmard JA, Bales CW, Johnson JL, Tanner CJ, Duscha BD, Kraus WE. Inactivity, exercise, and visceral fat. STRRIDE: a randomized, controlled study of exercise intensity and amount. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Oct;99(4):1613-8. (2005) Abstract

Hittel DS, Kraus WE, Tanner CJ, Houmard JA, Hoffman EP. Exercise training increases electron and substrate shuttling proteins in muscle of overweight men and women with the metabolic syndrome. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Jan;98(1):168-79. (2005) Abstract

Duscha BD, Slentz CA, Johnson JL, Houmard JA, Bensimhon DR, Knetzger KJ, Kraus WE. Effects of exercise training amount and intensity on peak oxygen consumption in middle-age men and women at risk for cardiovascular disease. Chest. 2005 Oct;128(4):2788-93. (2005) Abstract

Zhang JS, Kraus WE, Truskey GA. Stretch-induced nitric oxide modulates mechanical properties of skeletal muscle cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2004 Aug;287(2):C292-9. (2004) Abstract

Houmard JA, Tanner CJ, Slentz CA, Duscha BD, McCartney JS, Kraus WE. Effect of the volume and intensity of exercise training on insulin sensitivity. J Appl Physiol. 2004 Jan;96(1):101-6. (2004) Abstract

Hauser ER, Crossman DC, Granger CB, Haines JL, Jones CJ, Mooser V, McAdam B, Winkelmann BR, Wiseman AH, Muhlestein JB, Bartel AG, Dennis CA, Dowdy E, Estabrooks S, Eggleston K, Francis S, Roche K, Clevenger PW, Huang L, Pedersen B, Shah S, Schmidt S, Haynes C, West S, Asper D, Booze M, Sharma S, Sundseth S, Middleton L, Roses AD, Hauser MA, Vance JM, Pericak-Vance MA, Kraus WE. A genomewide scan for early-onset coronary artery disease in 438 families: the GENECARD Study. Am J Hum Genet. 2004 Sep;75(3):436-47. (2004) Abstract

Muoio DM, Way JM, Tanner CJ, Winegar DA, Kliewer SA, Houmard JA, Kraus WE, Dohm GL. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha regulates fatty acid utilization in primary human skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes. 2002 Apr;51(4):901-9. (2002) Abstract

Muoio DM, MacLean PS, Lang DB, Li S, Houmard JA, Way JM, Winegar DA, Corton JC, Dohm GL, Kraus WE. Fatty acid homeostasis and induction of lipid regulatory genes in skeletal muscles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha knock-out mice. Evidence for compensatory regulation by PPAR delta. J Biol Chem. 2002 Jul 19;277(29):26089-97. (2002) Abstract

Kraus WE, Houmard JA, Duscha BD, Knetzger KJ, Wharton MB, McCartney JS, Bales CW, Henes S, Samsa GP, Otvos JD, Kulkarni KR, Slentz CA. Effects of the amount and intensity of exercise on plasma lipoproteins. N Engl J Med. 2002 Nov 7;347(19):1483-92. (2002) Abstract

Duscha BD, Annex BH, Green HJ, Pippen AM, Kraus WE. Deconditioning fails to explain peripheral skeletal muscle alterations in men with chronic heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002 Apr 3;39(7):1170-4. (2002) Abstract