April 2026
Decoding Lymphatic Vascular Signals to Address Obesity

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including hypertension, obesity, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, remain major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A common feature of these disorders is vascular dysfunction, yet the signaling mechanisms that maintain vascular health and become disrupted during disease are not fully understood. Our research focuses on vascular ion channels and calcium signaling pathways that regulate vascular function in both blood and lymphatic vessels. By identifying the molecular mechanisms that preserve vascular integrity and function, we aim to discover new therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse vascular dysfunction and reduce the burden of chronic disease.

One focus of my laboratory is understanding how lymphatic vessel dysfunction contributes to obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Lymphatic vessels are essential for maintaining tissue fluid balance, and impaired lymphatic barrier function can promote lymph leakage, adipose tissue expansion, and weight gain. Our work has identified novel calcium-dependent signaling pathways that regulate lymphatic endothelial cell function and may contribute to obesity-associated lymphatic dysfunction. Using advanced calcium imaging and patch-clamp electrophysiology, we investigate the mechanisms governing vascular and lymphatic endothelial cell physiology, with the long-term goal of developing innovative therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

• Kuppusamy M, Ottolini M, Chen YL, Daneva Z, Li J, Cheung CHM, Rios N, Radi R, Garcia GC, Nwafor DC, Park M, Tumanov A, Sonkusare SK. Paracrine smooth muscle-to-endothelial signaling via TNF elevates blood pressure in obesity. Circ. Res. (2025) 137(6):812-828
  (Editorial by Fred S Lamb and Ryan J Stark, Smooth Muscle-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction in Obesity; Don't Just Blame the Middleman, Circ. Res. (2025) 137(6):829-831)
• Chen YL, Kazama K, Vattipally V, Sonkusare SK. Imaging Ca²⁺ signals in small pulmonary veins at physiological intraluminal pressures. J Vis Exp (2025):217
• Wolpe AG, Luse MA, Baryiames C, Schug WJ, Wolpe JB, Johnstone SR, Dunaway LS, Juśkiewicz ZJ, Loeb SA, Page HRA, Chen YL, Sabapathy V, Pavelec CM, Wakefield B, Cifuentes-Pagano E, Artamonov MV, Somlyo AV, Straub AC, Sharma R, Beier F, Barrett EJ, Leitinger N, Pagano PJ, Sonkusare SK, Redemann S, Columbus L, Penuela S, Isakson BE. Pannexin-3 stabilizes the transcription factor Bcl6 in a channel-independent manner to protect against vascular oxidative stress. Sci Signal (2024) 17(821):eadg2622
• Kuppusamy M, Ta HQ, Davenport HN, Bazaz A, Kulshrestha A, Daneva Z, Chen YL, Carrott PW, Laubach VE, Sonkusare SK. Purinergic P2Y2 receptor–induced activation of endothelial TRPV4 channels mediates lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. Sci Signal (2023) 16(808):e1553 
• (Cover Page, October 24, 2023 issue)
• Villalba N, Sackheim AM, Lawson MA, Haines L, Chen YL, Sonkusare SK, Ma YT, Li J, Majumdar D, Bouchard BA, Boyson JE, Poynter ME, Nelson MT, Freeman K. The Polyanionic Drug Suramin Neutralizes Histones and Prevents Endotheliopathy. J Immunol (2023) 211(4):648-657
• Daneva Z, Chen YL, Huy T, Vamsi M, Abhishek B, Laubach VE, Sonkusare SK. Endothelial IK and SK channel activation decreases pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension. Pulm Circ (2023) 13(1):e12186         
• Ruddiman CA, Peckham R, Luse MA, Chen YL, Kuppusamy M, Corliss B, Hall PJ,    Lin CJ, Peirce SM, Sonkusare SK, Mecham RP, Wagenseil JE, Isakson BE. Polarized localization of phosphatidylserine in endothelium regulates Kir2.1 channel. JCI Insight (2023) 8(9):e165715                                                      
• Chen YL, Daneva Z, Kuppusamy M, Ottolini M, Baker T, Klimentova E, Shah S, Sokolowski J, Park M, Sonkusare SK. Novel smooth muscle Ca²⁺-signaling nanodomains in blood pressure regulation. Circulation (2022) 146(7):548-564
• Daneva Z, Ottolini M, Chen YL, Klimentova E, Shah SA, Minshall RD, Seye CI, Laubach VE, Isakson BE, Sonkusare SK. Endothelial Pannexin 1–TRPV4 channel signaling lowers pulmonary arterial pressure. eLife (2021) 7(10): e67777  
• Chen YL, Ren Y, Rosa RH Jr, Kuo L, Hein TW. Contributions of sodium-hydrogen exchanger 1 and mitogen-activated protein kinases to enhanced retinal venular constriction to endothelin-1 in diabete. Diabetes (2021) 70(10): 2353-2363 
• Daneva Z, Marziano C, Ottolini M, Chen YL, Baker TM, Kuppusamy M, Zhang A, Ta HQ, Reagen CE, Mihalek AD, Kasetti RB, Shen Y, Isakson BE, Minshall RD, Zode GS, Goncharova EA, Laubach VE, Sonkusare SK. Caveolar peroxynitrite formation impairs endothelial TRPV4 channels and elevates pulmonary arterial pressure in pulmonary hypertension. PNAS (2021) 118(17): e2023130118
• Patel P, Chen YL, Kasetti RB, Maddineni P, Mayhew W, Millar JC, Ellis DZ, Sonkusare SK, Zode G. Impaired TRPV4-eNOS signaling in trabecular meshwork elevates intraocular pressure in glaucoma. PNAS (2021) 118(16): e2022461118
• Chen YL, Baker TM, Lee F, Shui B, Lee JC, Tvrdik P, Kotlikoff MI, Sonkusare SK. Calcium signal profiles in vascular endothelium from Cdh5-GCaMP8 and Cx40-GCaMP2 mice. J Vasc Res (2021): 1-13
• Maier-Begandt D, Comstra HS, Molina SA, Krüger N, Ruddiman CA, Chen YL, Chen X, Biwer LA, Johnstone SR, Lohman A, Good ME, DeLalio LJ, Hong K, Bacon H, Yan Z, Sonkusare SK, Koval M, Isakson BE. A venous specific purinergic signaling cascade initiated by Pannexin 1 regulates endothelial permeability. Sci Signal (2021) 14(672): eaba2940
• Chen YL, Rosa RH Jr, Kuo L, Hein TW. Hyperglycemia augments endothelin-1-induced constriction of human retinal venules. Transl Vis Sci Technol (2020) 9:1
• Ottolini M, Daneva Z, Chen YL, Cope EL, Kasetti RB, Zode GS, Sonkusare SK. Mechanisms underlying selective coupling of endothelial Ca²⁺ signals with eNOS vs. IK/SK channels in systemic and pulmonary arteries. J Physiol (2020) 1-20
• Chen YL, Xu W, Rosa RH Jr, Kuo L, Hein TW. Hyperglycemia enhances constriction of retinal venules via activation of the reverse-mode sodium-calcium exchanger. Diabetes (2019) 68(8): 1624-1634
• Chen YL, Ren Y, Xu W, Rosa RH Jr, Kuo L, Hein TW. Constriction of retinal venules to endothelin-1: obligatory roles of ETA Receptors, extracellular calcium entry, and Rho kinase. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci (2018) 59(12): 5167-5175

EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES AND INVITED REVIEWS.

• Ayon RJ, Kuppusamy M, Ceolotto G, Chen YL. Calcium regulation and mechano-transduction in vascular diseases: obligatory role of transient receptor potential and Piezo channels. Front Physiol (Editorial) (2024) 15: 1375432
• Chen YL, Sonkusare SK. Mechanosensitive Angiotensin II Receptor Signaling in Pressure-Induced Vasoconstriction. J Am Heart Assoc (Editorial) (2022) 11(4): e024740
• Chen YL, Sonkusare SK. Endothelial TRPV4 Channels and Vasodilator Reactivity. Curr Top Membr (2020) 85: 89-117

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography

Join the Chen Laboratory

We are currently recruiting for three roles in the lab: Postdoctoral Fellow; Technician; Graduate Student.

We are seeking highly motivated individuals to investigate vascular ion channels and signaling mechanisms in both health and disease. If you have an interest and are passionate about using advanced techniques and conducting impactful research, please contact me and email your CV to YenLin.Chen@lsuhs.edu.

LSU Health Shreveport
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience
1501 Kings Hwy
Shreveport, LA 71103

Email: YenLin.Chen@lsuhs.edu

Office: BRI F5-23