Agostino Molteni, M.D., Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor, Former Professor - Pathology and Pharmacology, Director of Student Research, Professor Emeritus - Northwestern University
Department(s) of Pathology
UMKC School of Medicine
Education and Background
M.D. -
University of Milano
Specialty Board -
Internal Medicine, University of Milano
Ph.D. -
State University of New York, Buffalo
Fellowship -
University of Milano
Fellowship -
State University of New York, Buffalo
Meet Agostino Molteni
How did you get started in research?I became curious about hypertension while in residency at the University of Milano in 1957, where I observed incidences of hypertension in relation to the different diets of Italy’s various regions. A research fellowship brought me to the United States and the State University of New York, Buffalo. My work there and then at Northwestern University has looked at high blood pressure among many populations, including burn victims, diabetics, and mothers in pre-term births. It is a fascinating area, and I never tire of exploring it.
How did you end up at UMKC?My wife and I had lived in the area in the 1970s. I was at KU Medical Center and she was on the UMKC faculty. We then moved to Chicago and were involved in academic research there for many years. At retirement age those tenured appointments expired, so we moved back to Kansas City to be close to our two sons and their families. But we found that we could not just stay at home: Too boring. So Dr. Richardson Noback, the dean of the School of Medicine, helped me find a research position at UMKC.
What do you enjoy outside of your research?I study history, especially the history of various civilizations, and Latin literature. I spend time with my children and mentor my five granddaughters in how to think critically, ask questions and extend their knowledge beyond their college or high school programs. I like to travel and visit other universities. And I also like to watch soccer, especially Sporting KC.
Specialties and Research/Medical Interests
Cell Biology, Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pathology, Cardiology
Research Focus
Ways hypertension develops, particularly pulmonary hypertension. Special interest in pulmonary fibrosis and fat embolism.
Molteni’s research often involves NEFAs — non-esterified fatty acids — and their role in high blood pressure. His studies have supported treatment for mild hypertension and looked at hypertension risks related to other medical conditions. He continues to do research while teaching and overseeing student research at the School of Medicine.
Research Summary
Dr. Molteni’s main research interest is the study of development of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in several models of experimental lung injury: exposure to radiation and hypoxia, administration of bleomycin and fat embolism syndrome. Also studied is the role played by the renin angiotensin system in the development of fibrosis and the antifibrotic protection of angiotensin converting inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers.
His projects are conducted in cooperation with Dr. Betty Herndon (UMKC SOM); Dr. T. McIff, Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery and Dr. A. Poisner, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Dr. B. Uhal, Dept. of Physiology, Michigan State University, Dr. R. Baybutt, Dept. of Health Sciences, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL., Dr. G Van Den Heuvel, Dept. of Physiology, Eastern Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI.
Research Career Development Award, National Institutes of Health, 1972
Albert E. Lasker Award, 1980, to NHLBI sharing as principal investigator, Central Laboratory Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program
Meritorious Service Award, Chicago Heart Association,1982
Clinical Chemists Recognition Award, 1983
Betty Drees Lifetime Mentorship Award, University of Missouri Kansas City, 2016
Recent research includes the evaluation of exenatide in a rodent model of non-alcoholic liver steatosis, and in particular, the drug’s effect on the pancreas and the thyroid of these animals. This study was performed in cooperation with Dr. Herndon, Dr. Laura Alba, and others of the Dept. of Medicine, in the UMKC SOM. An additional study is the evaluation of pulmonary and cardiac damage in a model of Cux-1 mice expressing the cyclin kinase inhibitors P21 and P27 (Drs Baybutt and Van Den Heuvel).
Selected Publications
Has published more than 200 articles and book chapters and more than 370 presentations at national and international scientific meetings.
Curcumin Effects on Hepatic Steatosis and Histopathology in an Obese Mouse Model. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research: 5(8): 1017-1023, 2015. Article no BJMMP.2015.112
Fat Embolism sensitizes rats to a “second hit” with LPS: an animal model of Pulmonary Fibrosis: Journal of Trauma and Acute Surgical Care; 783:552-557, 2015
Fat Embolism Syndrome following caesarean section in an obese patient and it’s similarity to an animal model of the same syndrome: a case report. Case reports in Clinical Pathology: Published online 3-3-2015, D01110.5430/crcp.vnp
NF-KB controls Resistance of Human Salivary Gland (HSG) Cells to apoptosis in an in vitro model of Sjögren syndrome. Open Journal of Rheumatology and Auto immune Diseases (OJRA): Vol 4 #3; ID: 2040 128, 2014
Mitigating effect of Captopril and Losartan on Lung Histopathology in a rat model of Fat Embolism. The Journal of Trauma 70 (5):1186-1191; 2011
Biochemical and Histological Effects of Exendin 4 (exenatide) in the rat pancreas. Diabetologia53(1):153-159; 2010
“Persistent and progressive fibrotic changes in a model of fat embolism.” Journal of Trauma 72 (h) 992-998, 2012
“Dietary flaxseed oil protects against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.” Pulmonary Medicine, published on line, June 2012 10457031 doi 0.1155/2012/457031
“Urease and Helicobacter spp. Antigens in Pulmonary Granuloma” Journal of Comparative Pathology(2012) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2012.06.011
“Effect of exendin (exenatide) on the thyroid and parathyroid gland in a rat model.” Eur. J., of Pharmacology 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2012.07.024
Fletcher A., Molteni A., Patel P., Ponnapureddy R., Pluym M., Poisner A.: The Renin Inhibitor Aliskiren protects rats lungs from the histopathological effects of fat embolism. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery; 82:335-344, 2017.
Poisner, A., Bass, D., Fletcher, A., Ashwin, J., Pennington England, J., Gawlik, Davis, M. Arif, D.,
Molteni, A.: Evidence for angiotensin mediation of the late histopathological effects of pulmonary fat embolism: protection by losartan in a rat mode. Experimental Lung Research, 44:7, 361-367, 2019.
Baybutt, R.C., Standard, J.J.T., Dim, D.D., Quinn, T., Hamdan, H., Diagbo L., Kun, K., Bomstein,
Z.S., Estorge, B.J., Herndon, B., Zia, H., Mansour, A., Lankachandra, M., Molteni, A.: Cod Liver Oil, but not retinoic acid, treatment restores bone thickness in a vitamin A deficient rat. Nutrients 14, 486-498, 2022.
Wampkah, N., Shresta, A., Salzman, G., Simon, S., Suman, S., Poisner, A., Molteni, A.: Renin Angiotensin blockade reduces readmission for acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease. Cureus 14 (3):e23567.2022.
Olson, C.G., Landon, J., Rohovetz, A., Monaghan-Nichols, P., Poisner, A., Molteni, A., Koulen, P.: Systemic Fat Embolism induces accumulation of fat droplets in the rat retina. International Journal of Ophthalmology and Eye Research. 10(3):484-488, 2021.
Poisner, A., Molteni, A., Fat Embolism: what we have learned from Animal Models? In “Embolic
Diseases – Evolving Diagnostic and Management Approach”, Stawicki, P.S., Swaroop, M., Fistenberg, M.S., Editors.. Intech Open Publisher, London 2019. Published online:
https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/fat-embolism-what-we-have-learned-from-animal-models. 3/24/19 This volume is in press for its printed publication.