Arginase signaling in atherosclerosis–Arginase reciprocally regulates Nitric Oxide synthase activity and contributes to endothelial dysfunction in aging blood vessels. We are using  atherosclerotic rabbit and mouse models to alter individual arginase signaling components in atherosclerotic plaques development in order to determine the mechanisms of arginase effects on atherosclerotic plaques. 

1)PARP-1 in Cardiology and Diabetes– We have generated PARP-1 knockout mice, These mice exhibited protective effects in endothelial function in Cardiology and Diabetes.

2)We are interested in the analysis of the underlying signaling transduction and mechanisms.

1. Wang WK, Wang B, Lu QH, Zhang W, Qin WD, Liu XJ, Liu XQ, An FS, Zhang Y, Zhang MX*. Inhibition of high-mobility group box 1 improves myocardial fibrosis and dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Int J Cardiol. 2014 Mar 1;172(1):202-12.
2. Hao PP, Shang R, Liu YP, Hou GH, Zhang MX, Zhang C, Chen YG, Zhang Y. Cardiogenic shock from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction induced by severe multivessel coronary vasospasm. Eur Heart J. 2014 Jan;35(3):146.
3. Wang XP, Zhang W, Liu XQ, Wang WK, Yan F, Dong WQ, Zhang Y, Zhang MX*. Arginase I enhances atherosclerotic plaque stabilization by inhibiting inflammation and promoting smooth muscle cell proliferation. Eur Heart J. 2013 Sep 1.
4. Li B, Li R, Zhang C, Bian HJ, Wang F, Xiao J, Liu SW, Yi W, Zhang MX, Wang SX, Zhang Y, Su GH, Ji XP. MicroRNA-7a/b Protects against Cardiac Myocyte Injury in Ischemia/Reperfusion by Targeting Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 3;9(3):e90096.
5. Luo B, Li B, Wang W, Liu X, Liu X, Xia Y, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Zhang M*, An F. Rosuvastatin Alleviates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome and MAPK Pathways in a Type 2 Diabetes Rat Model. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2014 Feb;28(1):33-43.
6. Zhang Y, Li R, Meng Y, Li S, Donelan W, Zhao Y, Qi L, Zhang M, Wang X, Cui T, Yang LJ, Tang D. Irisin Stimulates Browning of White Adipocytes Through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase p38 MAP Kinase and ERK MAP Kinase Signaling. Diabetes. 2014 Feb;63(2):514-25.
7. Yang JM, Dong M, Meng X, Zhao YX, Yang XY, Liu XL, Hao PP, Li JJ, Wang XP, Zhang K, Gao F, Zhao XQ, Zhang MX, Zhang Y, Zhang C. Angiotensin-(1-7) dose-dependently inhibits atherosclerotic lesion formation and enhances plaque stability by targeting vascular cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013 Aug;33(8):1978-85.
8. Hao PP, Chen YG, Liu YP, Zhang MX, Yang JM, Gao F, Zhang Y, Zhang C. Association of plasma angiotensin-(1-7) level and left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. PLoS One. 2013 May 14;8(5):e62788.
9. Li B, Dong Z, Liu H, Xia YF, Liu XM, Luo BB, Wang WK, Li B, Gao F, Zhang C, Zhang MX, Zhang Y, An FS. Serum amyloid A stimulates lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 expression in vitro and in vivo. Atherosclerosis. 2013 Jun;228(2):370-9.
10. Hao PP, Liu YP, Hou GH, Zhang MX, Chen YG, Zhang Y, Zhang C. Usefulness of angiotensin-(1-7) to predict myocardial salvage after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Sep 20;168(1):614-6.
11. Dong WQ, Zhang MX*. Endogenous metabolites--arginine/nitric oxide regulate the body\'s physiological function. Sheng Li Ke Xue Jin Zhan. 2012 Oct;43(5):334-7.
12. Wei SJ, Xing JH, Wang BL, Xue L, Wang JL, Li R, Qin WD, Wang J, Wang XP, Zhang MX*, Chen YG. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition prevents reactive oxygen species induced inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase2 activity. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Mar;1833(3):479-86.
13. Dong K, Zhang MX, Liu Y, Su XL, Chen B, Zhang XL. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha expression changes in human pregnant myometrium. Reprod Sci. 2013 Jun;20(6):654-60.
14. Zhang K, Huang XZ, Li XN, Feng M, Li L, Cai XJ, Zhang C, Liu XL, Zhang MX, Zhang Y, Wang XL, Zhang M. Interleukin 6 destabilizes atherosclerotic plaques by downregulating prolyl-4-hydroxylase α1 via a mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-Jun pathway. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2012 Dec 15;528(2):127-33.
15. Wang F, Zhao XQ, Liu JN, Wang ZH, Wang XL, Hou XY, Liu R, Gao F, Zhang MX, Zhang Y, Bu PL. Antagonist of microRNA-21 improves balloon injury-induced rat iliac artery remodeling by regulating proliferation and apoptosis of adventitial fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. J Cell Biochem. 2012 Sep;113(9):2989-3001.
16. Gong L, Liu FQ, Wang Y, Hou XG, Zhang W, Qin WD, Zhang Y, Chen L, Zhang MX*. Poly (ADP-ribose) transferase/polymerase-1-deficient mice resistant to age-dependent decrease in β-cell proliferation. Mol Med. 2012 Jul 18;18:816-24.
17. Liu YP, Hao PP, Zhang MX, Zhang C, Gao F, Zhang Y, Chen YG. Association of genetic variants in CYP2C19 and adverse clinical outcomes after treatment with clopidogrel: an updated meta-analysis.
18. Qin WD, Wei SJ, Wang XP, Wang J, Wang WK, Liu F, Gong L, Yan F, Zhang Y, Zhang M*. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 inhibition protects against low shear stress induced inflammation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Jan;1833(1):59-68.
19. Wang Y, Huang Z, Lu H, Lin H, Wang Z, Chen X, Ouyang Q, Tang M, Hao P, Ni J, Xu D, Zhang M, Zhang Q, Lin L, Zhang Y. Apolipoprotein E-knockout mice show increased titers of serum anti-nuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Jul 13;423(4):805-12.
20. Liu X, Li B, Wang W, Zhang C, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Xia Y, Dong Z, Guo Y, An F. Effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on experimental autoimmune myocarditis. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2012 Apr;26(2):121-30.
21. Wu Y, Wang Y, An C, Dong Z, Liu H, Zhang Y, Zhang M*, An F. Effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on renal function: meta-analysis. Circ J. 2012;76(5):1259-66. 22. Dong Z, Wu T, Qin W, An C, Wang Z, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Zhang C, An F. Serum amyloid A directly accelerates the progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Mol Med. 2011;17(11-12):1357-64.
23. Zhang X, Zhang B, Zhang M, Han Y, Zhao Y, Meng Z, Li X, Kang J, Yan C. Interleukin-8 gene polymorphism is associated with acute coronary syndrome in the Chinese Han population. Cytokine. 2011 Nov;56(2):188-91.
24. Dong Z, An F, Wu T, Zhang C, Zhang M, Zhang Y, An G, An F. PTX3, a key component of innate immunity, is induced by SAA via FPRL1-mediated signaling in HAECs. J Cell Biochem. 2011 Aug;112(8):2097-105.
25. Zhang X, Pei F, Zhang M, Yan C, Huang M, Wang T, Han Y. Interleukin-17A gene variants and risk of coronary artery disease: a large angiography-based study. Clin Chim Acta. 2011 Jan 30;412(3-4):327-31.

Honors
2008 Winner of Qilu Talents Program, Shandong, China.
2012 Council Member of the 1st Board of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies