Contact details

Dr Daqing Ma

Senior Lecturer
Department of Surgery & Cancer

Tel: +44 (0)20 3315 8495
Email: Email address for Dr Daqing Ma

Dr Daqing Ma

Three research areas that I am interested are ongoing as follows:

I. Organoprotection

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the world and is also associated with loss of function, independence and quality of life. Also, perinatal hypoxia-ischaemia (H/I) remains a frequent cause of acute mortality and chronic neurological morbidity in infants and children all over the world. kidney transplantation is a cost-effective intervention for the treatment of end-stage renal failure. However, ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), as a consequence of prolonged ischaemia (during cold preservation) followed by warm revascularization of the graft, can result in primary dysfunction of the transplanted graft.

The big advantage for currently used anaesthetics acting as organoprotectant is because their rapid onsite effect. There are lots of evidence showing that anaesthetics do produce cell phenotype changes or up-regulate cellular signals. Those changes can enhance cellular tolerance to ischemic insult. I have been working in this area during last 7 years and I plan to continue work in the stroke, neonatal asphyxia and kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury research area for the future.

II. POCD and AD

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is independently associated with poor short-term and long-term outcomes including an increased risk of mortality and premature unemployment. Our published work has shown that surgical procedures and/or surgical trauma may trigger a cognitive decline that is associated with a hippocampal inflammatory response, attributable most likely to pro-inflammatory cytokine-dependent activation of glial cells. Inflammation is also a prominent feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in tandem with the accumulation of beta-amyloid, which is believed to be central to the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, it seems reasonable to suggest that POCD and AD may share certain neuropathological and biochemical mechanisms. However, the lack of direct evidence demonstrating the involvement of AD-like pathogenic mechanisms renders this speculation untenable. It is my intention to be active in this area .

III. Anaesthetics and Cancer

The process of surgery along with anaesthesia is a very complex one leading to a profound neuroendocrine, metabolic, and cytokine response. It is extremely important to know the effects of anaesthetics (or techniques) and/or surgery on cancer outcomes in order to diminish any postoperative complications.

Selected Publications

Journals

Ma D; Williamson P; Januszewski A; Nogaro MC; Hossain M; Ong LP; Shu Y; Franks NP; et alMaze M. (Apr 2007). Xenon mitigates isoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis in the developing rodent brain. Anesthesiology. 106:746-753. DOI.
Wan Y; Xu J; Ma D; Zeng Y; Cibelli M; Maze M. (Mar 2007). Postoperative impairment of cognitive function in rats: a possible role for cytokine-mediated inflammation in the hippocampus. Anesthesiology. 106:436-443.
Ma D; Hossain M; Pettet GK; Luo Y; Lim T; Akimov S; Sanders RD; Franks NP; et alMaze M. (Feb 2006). Xenon preconditioning reduces brain damage from neonatal asphyxia in rats. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 26:199-208. DOI.
Sanders RD; Patel N; Hossain M; Ma D; Maze M. (Sep 2005). Isoflurane exerts antinociceptive and hypnotic properties at all ages in Fischer rats. Br J Anaesth. 95:393-399. DOI.
Ma D; Hossain M; Chow A; Arshad M; Battson RM; Sanders RD; Mehmet H; Edwards AD; et alFranks NP; Maze M. (Aug 2005). Xenon and hypothermia combine to provide neuroprotection from neonatal asphyxia. Ann Neurol. 58:182-193. DOI.
Clark JA; Ma D; Homi HM; Maze M; Grocott HP. (Aug 2005). Xenon and the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass in the rat. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 19:488-493. DOI.
Sanders RD; Giombini M; Ma D; Ohashi Y; Hossain M; Fujinaga M; Maze M. (May 2005). Dexmedetomidine exerts dose-dependent age-independent antinociception but age-dependent hypnosis in Fischer rats. Anesth Analg. 100:1295-1302. DOI.
Ma D; Hossain M; Rajakumaraswamy N; Arshad M; Sanders RD; Franks NP; Maze M. (11 Oct 2004). Dexmedetomidine produces its neuroprotective effect via the alpha 2A-adrenoceptor subtype. Eur J Pharmacol. 502:87-97. DOI.
Ma D; Sanders RD; Halder S; Rajakumaraswamy N; Franks NP; Maze M. (May 2004). Xenon exerts age-independent antinociception in Fischer rats. Anesthesiology. 100:1313-1318.
Dawson C; Ma D; Chow A; Maze M. (Apr 2004). Dexmedetomidine enhances analgesic action of nitrous oxide: mechanisms of action. Anesthesiology. 100:894-904.
Ma D; Rajakumaraswamy N; Maze M. (2004). alpha2-Adrenoceptor agonists: shedding light on neuroprotection?. Br Med Bull. 71:77-92. DOI.
Homi HM; Yokoo N; Ma D; Warner DS; Franks NP; Maze M; Grocott HP. (Oct 2003). The neuroprotective effect of xenon administration during transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Anesthesiology. 99:876-881.
Ma D; Hossain M; Rajakumaraswamy N; Franks NP; Maze M. (Sep 2003). Combination of xenon and isoflurane produces a synergistic protective effect against oxygen-glucose deprivation injury in a neuronal-glial co-culture model. Anesthesiology. 99:748-751.
Ma D; Yang H; Lynch J; Franks NP; Maze M; Grocott HP. (Mar 2003). Xenon attenuates cardiopulmonary bypass-induced neurologic and neurocognitive dysfunction in the rat. Anesthesiology. 98:690-698.
Ma D; Wilhelm S; Maze M; Franks NP. (Nov 2002). Neuroprotective and neurotoxic properties of the 'inert' gas, xenon. Br J Anaesth. 89:739-746.
Wilhelm S; Ma D; Maze M; Franks NP. (Jun 2002). Effects of xenon on in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal injury. Anesthesiology. 96:1485-1491.
Pac-Soo CK; Wang C; Ma D; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Jun 2000). Vagally mediated sympathoexcitation and central depression by desflurane in rabbits. Br J Anaesth. 84:777-782.
Whitwam JG; Galletly DC; Ma D; Chakrabarti MK. (Jan 2000). The effects of propofol on heart rate, arterial pressure and A delta and C somatosympathetic reflexes in anaesthetized dogs. EUR J ANAESTH. 17:57-63.
Ma D; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Nov 1999). Effects of propofol and remifentanil on phrenic nerve activity and nociceptive cardiovascular responses in rabbits. Anesthesiology. 91:1470-1480.
Ma D; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Aug 1999). The combined effects of sevoflurane and remifentanil on central respiratory activity and nociceptive cardiovascular responses in anesthetized rabbits. Anesth Analg. 89:453-461.
Pac-Soo CK; Ma D; Wang C; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Aug 1999). Specific actions of halothane, isoflurane, and desflurane on sympathetic activity and A delta and C somatosympathetic reflexes recorded in renal nerves in dogs. Anesthesiology. 91:470-478.
Ma D; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Mar 1999). Propofol, bradycardia and the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in rabbits. Br J Anaesth. 82:412-417.
Ma D; Sapsed-Byrne SM; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Jul 1998). Synergistic interaction between the effects of propofol and midazolam with fentanyl on phrenic nerve activity in rabbits. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 42:670-677.
Ma D; Sapsed-Byrne SM; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Jun 1998). Synergistic antinociceptive interaction between sevoflurane and intrathecal fentanyl in dogs. Br J Anaesth. 80:800-806.
Ma D; Wang C; Pac Soo CK; Chakrabarti MK; Lockwood GG; Whitwam JG. (May 1998). The effect of sevoflurane on spontaneous sympathetic activity, A delta and C somatosympathetic reflexes, and associated hemodynamic changes in dogs. Anesth Analg. 86:1079-1083.
Ma D; Sapsed-Byrne SM; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Jan 1998). Effect of sevoflurane on spontaneous sympathetic activity and baroreflexes in rabbits. Br J Anaesth. 80:68-72.
Ma D; Wang C; Pac-Soo CK; Chakrabarti MK; Whitwam JG. (Oct 1997). Dissociation between the effect of nitrous oxide on spontaneous and reflexly evoked sympathetic activity in dogs. Br J Anaesth. 79:525-529.
Sapsed-Byrne S; Ma D; Ridout D; Holdcroft A. (2 Dec 1996). Estrous cycle phase variations in visceromotor and cardiovascular responses to colonic distension in the anesthetized rat. Brain Res. 742:10-16.