Dr Zhang’s research is focused on preclinical studies of new anti-aging, antibiotics and central nervous system (CNS) agents using various animal models and the extrapolation of these results to humans. His research areas have included the following inter-related areas: biopharmaceutical analysis, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, toxicity, drug discovery and development.
Since 2005, he has collaborated with Dr Ping Liu (Anatomy) on the contribution of the arginine metabolic to age-associated cognitive decline, disease biomarker identification and its potential use for drug discovery and development. Knowledge gained from this work will contribute significantly to the basic understanding of the neurobiology of the ageing brain and may lead to a LC/MS based metabonomic biomarker discovery and the development of agmatine based therapeutics for cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. They are currently funded by the New Zealand Neurological Foundation and the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
Find out more about Dr Zhang’s research.
Publications
Bergin, D. H., Jing, Y., Williams, G., Mockett, B. G., Zhang, H., Abraham, W. C., & Liu, P. (2019). Safety and neurochemical profiles of acute and sub-chronic oral treatment with agmatine sulfate. Scientific Reports, 9, 12669. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49078-0
Vemula, P., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Hunt, Jr, J. B., Sandusky-Beltran, L. A., Lee, D. C., & Liu, P. (2019). Altered brain arginine metabolism in a mouse model of tauopathy. Amino Acids. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00726-018-02687-x
Hariharan, A., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2019). Altered neurovascular coupling and brain arginine metabolism in endothelial nitric oxide synthase deficient mice. Nitric Oxide, 87, 60-72. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2019.03.006
Zhang, J., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2018). Maternal immune activation altered microglial immunoreactivity in the brain of postnatal day 2 rat offspring. Synapse. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/syn.22072
Zhang, J., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2018). Maternal immune activation leads to increased nNOS immunoreactivity in the brain of postnatal day 2 rat offspring. Synapse, 72(1), e22011. doi: 10.1002/syn.22011
Journal - Research Article
Bergin, D. H., Jing, Y., Williams, G., Mockett, B. G., Zhang, H., Abraham, W. C., & Liu, P. (2019). Safety and neurochemical profiles of acute and sub-chronic oral treatment with agmatine sulfate. Scientific Reports, 9, 12669. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49078-0
Hariharan, A., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2019). Altered neurovascular coupling and brain arginine metabolism in endothelial nitric oxide synthase deficient mice. Nitric Oxide, 87, 60-72. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2019.03.006
Vemula, P., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Hunt, Jr, J. B., Sandusky-Beltran, L. A., Lee, D. C., & Liu, P. (2019). Altered brain arginine metabolism in a mouse model of tauopathy. Amino Acids. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00726-018-02687-x
Zhang, J., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2018). Maternal immune activation altered microglial immunoreactivity in the brain of postnatal day 2 rat offspring. Synapse. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/syn.22072
Zhang, J., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2018). Maternal immune activation leads to increased nNOS immunoreactivity in the brain of postnatal day 2 rat offspring. Synapse, 72(1), e22011. doi: 10.1002/syn.22011
Bergin, D. H., Jing, Y., Mockett, B. G., Zhang, H., Abraham, W. C., & Liu, P. (2018). Altered plasma arginine metabolome precedes behavioural and brain arginine metabolomic profile changes in the APPswe/PS1ΔE9 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Translational Psychiatry, 8, 108. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0149-z
Zhang, J., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2018). Effects of maternal immune activation on brain arginine metabolism of postnatal day 2 rat offspring. Schizophrenia Research, 192, 431-441. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.05.016
Liu, P., Gupta, N., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Smith, P. F. (2017). Further studies of the effects of aging on arginine metabolites in the rat vestibular nucleus and cerebellum. Neuroscience, 348, 273-287. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.02.033
Mazlan, M., Hamizah, H. S., Taridi, N. M., Jing, Y., Liu, P., Zhang, H., … Damanhuri, H. A. (2017). Effects of aging and tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation on brain arginine metabolism in rats. Oxidative Medicine & Cellular Longevity, 2017, 6019796. doi: 10.1155/2017/6019796
Knox, L. T., Jing, Y., Bawazier-Edgecombe, J., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2017). Effects of withdrawal from repeated phencyclidine administration on behavioural function and brain arginine metabolism in rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior, 153, 45-59. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.12.006
Liu, P., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Dean, B., Bilkey, D. K., & Zhang, H. (2016). Altered brain arginine metabolism in schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry, 6, e871. doi: 10.1038/tp.2016.144
Bergin, D. H., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2015). A single intracerebroventricular Aβ25-35 infusion leads to prolonged alterations in arginine metabolism in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Neuroscience, 298, 367-379. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.034
Liu, P., Fleete, M. S., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Curtis, M. A., Waldvogel, H. J., … Abraham, W. C., & Zhang, H. (2014). Altered arginine metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease brains. Neurobiology of Aging, 35(9), 1992-2003. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.03.013
Knox, L. T., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2014). Effects of acute phencyclidine administration on arginine metabolism in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in rats. Neuropharmacology, 81, 195-205. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.02.004
Nayak, P. K., Zhang, H., & Kerr, D. S. (2013). Determination of 1-(4’-aminophenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-methylene-dioxy-2,3-benzodiazepine by high-performance liquid chromatography—diode array detection in plasma and brain in healthy and hypoxic–ischaemic rats. Neuroscience, 232, 139-150. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.001
Jing, Y., Fleete, M. S., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2013). Regional variations and age-related changes in arginine metabolism in the rat brain stem and spinal cord. Neuroscience, 252, 98-108. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.08.002
Rushaidhi, M., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2013). Effects of prolonged agmatine treatment in aged male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuroscience, 234, 116-124. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.004
Rushaidhi, M., Jing, Y., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2013). Participation of hippocampal agmatine in spatial learning: An in vivo microdialysis study. Neuropharmacology, 65, 200-205. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.10.007
Jing, Y., Zhang, H., Wolff, A. R., Bilkey, D. K., & Liu, P. (2013). Altered arginine metabolism in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of maternal immune activation rat offspring. Schizophrenia Research, 148(1-3), 151-156. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.06.001
Yang, L., Fawcett, J. P., Zhang, H., & Tucker, I. G. (2013). Effect of 12-oxochenodeoxycholate on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of morphine 6-glucuronide in Wistar rats. Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, 65(4), 561-566. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12020
Chen, G., Yang, L., Zhang, H., Tucker, I. G., & Fawcett, J. P. (2012). Effect of ketocholate derivatives on methotrexate uptake in Caco-2 cell monolayers. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 433, 89-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2012.04.077
Rushaidhi, M., Jing, Y., Kennard, J. T., Collie, N. D., Williams, J. M., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2012). Aging affects L-arginine and its metabolites in memory-associated brain structures at the tissue and synaptoneurosome levels. Neuroscience, 209, 21-31. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.02.021
Rushaidhi, M., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2012). Agmatine selectively improves behavioural function in aged male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuroscience, 218(30), 206-215. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.05.015
Gupta, N., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2012). Chronic difluoromethylornithine treatment impairs spatial learning and memory in rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior, 100(3), 464-473. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.10.011
Lee, H. J., Zhang, H., Orlovich, D. A., & Fawcett, J. P. (2012). The influence of probiotic treatment on sulfasalazine metabolism in rat. Xenobiotica, 42(8), 791-797. doi: 10.3109/00498254.2012.660508
Yang, L., Fawcett, J. P., Østergaard, J., Zhang, H., & Tucker, I. G. (2012). Mechanistic studies of the effect of bile salts on rhodamine 123 uptake into RBE4 cells. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 9(1), 29-36. doi: 10.1021/mp200201y
Gupta, N., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2012). Ageing alters behavioural function and brain arginine metabolism in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuroscience, 226, 178-196. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.013
Yang, L., Zhang, H., Fawcett, J. P., Mikov, M., & Tucker, I. G. (2011). Effect of bile salts on the transport of morphine-6-glucuronide in rat brain endothelial cells. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 100(4), 1516-1524. doi: 10.1002/jps.22390
Liu, P., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Campbell, S. A., & Zhang, H. (2011). Pre-aggregated Aβ25-35 alters arginine metabolism in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Neuroscience, 193, 269-282. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.07.054
Knox, L. T., Jing, Y., Fleete, M. S., Collie, N. D., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2011). Scopolamine impairs behavioural function and arginine metabolism in the rat dentate gyrus. Neuropharmacology, 61(8), 1452-1462. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.08.042
Li, Y., Zhang, H., Fawcett, J. P., & Tucker, I. G. (2010). Effect of cyclosporin A on the pharmacokinetics of mitoquinone (MitoQ10), a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, in rat. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5(3), 106-113.
Liu, P., Zhang, H., Devaraj, R., Ganesalingam, G., & Smith, P. F. (2010). A multivariate analysis of the effects of aging on glutamate, GABA and arginine metabolites in the rat vestibular nucleus. Hearing Research, 269(1-2), 122-133. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2010.06.019
Gupta, N., Zhang, H., & Liu, P. (2009). Behavioral and neurochemical effects of acute putrescine depletion by difluoromethylornithine in rats. Neuroscience, 161(3), 691-706. doi: 10.1016/j.nueroscience.2009.03.075
Liu, P., Jing, Y., Collie, N. D., Chary, S., & Zhang, H. (2009). Memory-related changes in L-citrulline and agmatine in the rat brain. Hippocampus, 19(7), 597-602. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20561
Yang, L., Zhang, H., Mikov, M., & Tucker, I. G. (2009). Physicochemical and biological characterization of monoketocholic acid, a novel permeability enhancer. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 6(2), 448-456. doi: 10.1021/mp800143w
Liu, P., Jing, Y., & Zhang, H. (2009). Age-related changes in arginine and its metabolites in memory-associated brain structures. Neuroscience, 164(2), 611-628. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.08.029
Liu, P., Gupta, N., Jing, Y., & Zhang, H. (2008). Age-related changes in polyamines in memory-associated brain structures in rats. Neuroscience, 155, 789-796. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.033
Liu, P., Rushaidhi, M., Collie, N. D., Leong, M.-T. T., & Zhang, H. (2008). Behavioral effects of intracerebroventricular microinfusion of agmatine in adult rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 122(3), 557-569. doi: 10.1037/0735-7044.122.3.557
Liu, P., Collie, N. D., Chary, S., Jing, Y., & Zhang, H. (2008). Spatial learning results in elevated agmatine levels in the rat brain. Hippocampus, 18, 1094-1098. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20482
Liu, P., Chary, S., Devaraj, R., Jing, Y., Darlington, C. L., Smith, P. F., Tucker, I. G., & Zhang, H. (2008). Effects of aging on agmatine levels in memory-associated brain structures. Hippocampus, 18, 853-856. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20448
Li, Y., Fawcett, J. P., Zhang, H., & Tucker, I. G. (2008). Transport and metabolism of some cationic ubiquinone antioxidants (MitoQn) in Caco-2 cell monolayers. European Journal of Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, 33(4), 199-204.
Li, Y., Fawcett, J. P., Zhang, H., & Tucker, I. G. (2007). Transport and metabolism of MitoQ10, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, 59, 503-511.
Li, Y., Zhang, H., Fawcett, J. P., & Tucker, I. G. (2007). Quantitation and metabolism of mitoquinone, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, in rat by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 21, 1958-1964.
McLeod, B. J., Zhang, H., Huang, L., Thompson, E. G., Butt, A. G., & Tucker, I. G. (2005). An in situ single-pass perfusion model for assessing absorption across the intestinal mucosa of the brushtail possum. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 53(4), 234-241.
Pukrittayakamee, S., Pitisuttithum, P., Zhang, H., Jantra, A., Wanwimolruk, S., & White, N. J. (2002). Effects of cigarette smoking on quinine pharmacokinetics in malaria. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 58, 315-319.
Zhang, H., Wong, P., Coville, P., & Wanwimolruk, S. (2000). Effect of the grapefruit flavonoid naringin on pharmacokinetics of quinine in rats. Drug Metabolism & Drug Interactions, 17(1-4), 351-363.
Zhang, H., Wanwimolruk, S., Coville, P., Schofield, J. C., Williams, G., Haines, S. R., & Suttie, J. M. (2000). Toxicological evaluation of New Zealand deer velvet powder. Part 1: Acute and subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats. Food & Chemical Toxicology, 38, 985-990.
Wanwimolruk, S., Zhang, H., Coville, P., Saville, D. J., & Davis, L. S. (1999). In vitro hepatic metabolism of a CYP3A-mediated drug, quinine, in Adélie penguins. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology Part C, 124(3), 301-307.
Zhang, H., Ramsay, N., Coville, P., & Wanwimolruk, S. (1999). Effects of erythromycin, rifampicin and isoniazid on the pharmacokinetics of quinine in rats. Pharmacy & Pharmacology Communications, 5, 467-472.
Zhang, H., Coville, P., Walker, R. J., Miners, J. O., Birkett, D. J., & Wanwimolruk, S. (1997). Evidence for involvement of human CYP3A in the 3-hydroxylation of quinine. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 43(3), 245-252.
