Cuihua Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor Zhangcu@missouri.edu

Reserach Interests
Our research laboratory focuses on the regulation of coronary microvascular function; endothelium and vascular smooth-muscle biology; physiology and pathophysiology of coronary microcirculation; metabolic regulation of microvascular blood flow; nitric oxide and microvascular function; influence of antioxidants/oxidative stress on microvascular vasomotor function. Dr. Zhang’s current research interest is aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for the pathophysiological manifestations of ischemic heart disease. Dr. Zhang’s laboratory studies genetically modified mice to understand the role of specific genes in the pathophysiological sequelae of cardiovascular diseases, e.g., hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes at the molecular, cellular, and intact tissue levels.

Ongoing projects in the laboratory include:
Role of inflammtory cytokines in vascular dysfunction in type 2 diabetes
Role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury
Role of LOX-1 in endothelial function in coronary arterioles in atherosclerotic Apo-E knockout mice

Professional Background

• Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• Associate Professor (with tenure), Departments of Internal Medicine, Medical
• Pharmacology & Physiology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Missouri, MO
• Recipient of the Microcirculatory Society Travel Award for Outstanding Young Investigators from the Microcirculatory Society
• Recipient of Werner Risau New Investigator Award in Vascular Biology from ATVB
• Recipient of American Physiology Society CV Section Young Investigator Award
• Member of Editorial Boards for Basic Research in Cardiology and American Journal of Physiology
• Adhoc member of NIH Hypertension and Microcirculation Study Section
• American Heart Association Peer Review Committee
• Research funded by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association and Pfizer

Selected Publications

• Cuihua Zhang, Hein TW, Wang W, Ren Y, Shipley RD, and Kuo L. Activation of
  JNK and Xanthine Oxidase by TNF alpha Impairs Nitric Oxide-Mediated Dilation
  of Coronary Arterioles. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology,
  2006;40(2):247-257.
• Cuihua Zhang, Xiangbin Xu, Barry J. Potter, Wei Wang, Lih Kuo, Lloyd Michael, Gregory J. Bagby, and William M. Chilian. TNF-alpha Contributes to Endothelial Dysfunction in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 2006; 26:475-480.
• A Picchi, X Gao, S Belmadani, BJ Potter, M Focardi, WM Chilian and Cuihua Zhang. TNF alpha Induces Endothelial Dysfunction in the Metabolic Syndrome. Circ Res. 2006, 99:69-77.
• Xue Gao, Souad Belmadani, Andrea Picchi, Xiangbin Xu, Barry J Potter, Neera Tewari-Singh, Stefano Capobianco, William M Chilian and Cuihua Zhang. Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-induces Endothelial Dysfunction in Leprdb Mice. Circulation. 2007, 115:245-254.
• Xiangbin Xu, Xue Gao, Ji-Min Cao, William M. Chilian and Cuihua Zhang. Anti-LOX-1 Rescues Endothelial Function in Coronary Arterioles in Atherosclerotic Apo-E Knockout Mice. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 2007, 27:871-877.
• . Xue Gao, Xiangbin Xu, Souad Belmadani, Yoonjung Park, Zhonghua Tang, Arthur M Feldman, William M Chilian and Cuihua Zhang. TNF-alpha Contributes to Endothelial Dysfunction by Up-regulation Arginase in I/R Injury. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 2007, 27:1269-1275.
• Cuihua Zhang, Yoonjung Park, Andrea Picchi and Barry J Potter. Maturation-induced Endothelial Dysfunction via Vascular Inflammation in Diabetic Mice. Basic Research in Cardiology. 2008 (In Press).

Methodologies/Techniques