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Comparative Medicine
Dr. Koudy Williams

J. Koudy Williams, DVM

Professor of Pathology (Comparative Medicine) and Surgical Sciences (General Surgery); Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Tel: (336) 716-1631
Fax: (336) 716-1515
kwilliam@wfubmc.edu

Education:
  • Undergraduate: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, BS, 1976
  • Postgraduate: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, DVM, 1983
  • Fellowship: University of Iowa, 1985-87
Interests:
  • Teaching: Vascular Disease, Atherosclerosis, Physiology - Cardiology, Hypertension, Pathology- Growth Factors
  • Research: Role of Atherosclerosis & Ovarian Hormones on Endothelium-Mediated Vascular Responses, Vasospasm, Cardiovascular Disease, Women's Health
  • Clinical: Medical Primatology, Veterinary Cardiology
Current Projects: Estrogens, Endothelium, Atherosclerosis

The purpose of our research is to determine the influence of certain atherosclerosis risk factors and hormones on vascular reactivity. We use cynomolgus monkeys as a nonhuman primate model of atherosclerosis in human beings. Our studies focus on two primary areas:

  1. The Influence of Atherosclerosis on Endothelial Dysfunction as Related to Vasomotion. Atherosclerosis has been shown to damage endothelial cells, perhaps by modifying their response to circulating vasoactive substances, resulting in altered vasomotion and vasospasm. Vasospasm can contribute to transient ischemia in several organ systems (e.g. heart, brain, eye, legs, and gut). It is known that women receiving postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy have a decreased incidence of myocardial ischemia. The goals of this research are to determine the effect of estrogen on altered vasomotion (in vivo) and release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in coronary and iliac artery segments of female cynomolgus monkeys in vitro. In addition, we are studying the effect of atherosclerosis on flow-mediated and receptor-mediated dilation in iliac arteries of cynomolgus monkeys.
  2. The Pathobiology of Restenosis After Angioplasty in Nonhuman Primates. Restenosis is the most common reason for coronary angioplasty to fail. The pathogenesis of restenosis is poorly understood. This is partially due to lack of a good animal model of restenosis. Studies in our laboratory focus on the effects of mammalian and plant estrogens on restenosis and the potential role of gene transfer in prevention of restenosis in a monkey model of diet-induced atherosclerosis.

Publications:

Suparto IH, Williams JK, Fox JL, Yusuf JT, Sajuthi D. Effects of hormone therapy and dietary soy on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in ovariectomized atherosclerotic monkeys. Menopause. 2007 Oct 2; [Epub ahead of print]

Adams MR, Golden DL, Williams JK, Franke AA, Register TC, Kaplan JR. Soy protein containing isoflavones reduces the size of atherosclerotic plaques without affecting coronary artery reactivity in adult male monkeys. J Nutr. 2005 Dec;135(12):2852-6.

Williams JK. A mouse model of the perimenopausal transition: importance for cardiovascular research. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Sep;25(9):1765-6.

Kavanagh K, Koudy Williams J, Wagner JD. Naturally occurring menopause in cynomolgus monkeys: changes in hormone, lipid, and carbohydrate measures with hormonal status. J Med Primatol. 2005 Aug;34(4):171-7.

Vardy MD, Gardner TR, Cosman F, Scotti RJ, Mikhail MS, Preiss-Bloom AO, Williams JK, Cline JM, Lindsay R. The effects of hormone replacement on the biomechanical properties of the uterosacral and round ligaments in the monkey model. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005 May;192(5):1741-51.

Register TC, Cann JA, Kaplan JR, Williams JK, Adams MR, Morgan TM, Anthony MS, Blair RM, Wagner JD, Clarkson TB. Effects of soy isoflavones and conjugated equine estrogens on inflammatory markers in atherosclerotic, ovariectomized monkeys. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Mar;90(3):1734-40.

Adams MR, Williams JK, Kaplan JR. Estrogens, progestins, and atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004 Nov;24(11):e190; author reply e190-1.

Williams JK, Suparto I. Hormone replacement therapy and cardiovascular disease: lessons from a monkey model of postmenopausal women. ILAR J. 2004;45(2):139-46.

Wagner JD, Schwenke DC, Greaves KA, Zhang L, Anthony MS, Blair RM, Shadoan MK, Williams JK. Soy Protein With Isoflavones, but not an Isoflavone-Rich Supplement, Improves Arterial Low-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism and Atherogenesis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2003 Dec;23(12):2241-6.

Suparto IH, Williams JK, Cline JM, Anthony MS, Fox JL. Contrasting effects of two hormone replacement therapies on the cardiovascular and mammary gland outcomes in surgically postmenopausal monkeys. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003 May;188(5):1132-40.

Williams JK, Kaplan JR, Suparto I, Fox JL, Manuck SB. Effects of exercise on cardiovascular outcomes in monkeys with risk factors for coronary heart disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2003 May 1;23(5):864-71.

Liew R, Williams JK, Collins P, MacLeod KT. Soy-derived isoflavones exert opposing actions on Guinea pig ventricular myocytes. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003 Mar;304(3):985-93.

Shively CA, Williams JK, Laber-Laird K, Anton RF. Depression and coronary artery atherosclerosis and reactivity in female cynomolgus monkeys. Psychosom Med. 2002 Sep-Oct;64(5):699-706.

Williams JK, Hall J, Anthony MS, Register TC, Reis SE, Clarkson TB. A comparison of tibolone and hormone replacement therapy on coronary artery and myocardial function in ovariectomized atherosclerotic monkeys. Menopause. 2002 Jan-Feb;9(1):41-51.

Cherr GS, Motew SJ, Travis JA, Fingerle J, Fisher L, Brandl M, Williams JK, Geary RL. Metalloproteinase inhibition and the response to angioplasty and stenting in atherosclerotic primates. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2002 Jan;22(1):161-6.

Adams MR, Golden DL, Anthony MS, Register TC, Williams JK. The inhibitory effect of soy protein isolate on atherosclerosis in mice does not require the presence of LDL receptors or alteration of plasma lipoproteins. J Nutr. 2002 Jan;132(1):43-9.

Williams JK, Anthony MS, Herrington DM. Interactive effects of soy protein and estradiol on coronary artery reactivity in atherosclerotic, ovariectomized monkeys. Menopause. 2001 Sep-Oct;8(5):307-13.

Cline JM, Soderqvist G, Register TC, Williams JK, Adams MR, Von Schoultz B. Assessment of hormonally active agents in the reproductive tract of female nonhuman primates. Toxicol Pathol. 2001 Jan-Feb;29(1):84-90. Review.

Greaves KA, Wilson MD, Rudel LL, Williams JK, Wagner JD. Consumption of soy protein reduces cholesterol absorption compared to casein protein alone or supplemented with an isoflavone extract or conjugated equine estrogen in ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys. J Nutr. 2000 Apr;130(4):820-6.

Greaves KA, Parks JS, Williams JK, Wagner JD. Intact dietary soy protein, but not adding an isoflavone-rich soy extract to casein, improves plasma lipids in ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys. J Nutr. 1999 Aug;129(8):1585-92.

Williams JK, Clarkson TB. Dietary soy isoflavones inhibit in-vivo constrictor responses of coronary arteries to collagen-induced platelet activation. Coron Artery Dis. 1998;9(11):759-64.

Anthony MS, Clarkson TB, Williams JK. Effects of soy isoflavones on atherosclerosis: potential mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Dec;68(6 Suppl):1390S-1393S.