Congli Zhu, PH.D
E-mail Address: zhucli1231@163.com
Office Address: 185# DongHu Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071
Position(s): Lecturer
Affiliation(s):Department of Anatomy
Research interests / Specialties:
Estrogen and Senescence of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Education and Training
B.S., 1993-1998 WuHan University School of Medicine, China
M.D., 1999-2002 WuHan University School of Medicine, China
Ph.D., 2005-2011 WuHan University School of Medicine, China
Visiting Scholar, 2007,10-2008,1 Centre for Research in Vascular Biology at the University of Queensland, Australia
Research Description
My research is about the effects of estrogen on stress-induced senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).
Clinical and Epidemiological investigations have shown the estrogen possesses protective effects in the female’s cardiovascular system and anti-senescence effect, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully clear. Therefore, we used the H2O2 to induce premature senescence (Stress-induced premature senescence, SIPS) of VSMCs from the young or old rats, checked the effects of estrogen on it, and explored the mechanism of it.
Our research reveals for the first time that estrogen has an anti-SIPS action on VSMC through both Ras-p38-PRAK-p53-p21-Rb and Ras-p16-Rb pathways, thus identifying a novel mechanism for the hormone’s “time-window”-dependent vascular protective effects.
A: Control; B: H2O2; C: H2O2+ E2
Publication list
1. Zhu C, Zhang L, Zheng Y, Xu J, Song J, Rolfe BE, Campbell JH. Effects of estrogen on stress-induced premature senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells: a novel mechanism for the “time window theory” of menopausal hormone therapy. Atherosclerosis. 2011; 215: 294-300.
2. Liang Zhang*, Congli Zhu*, Xiaofang Zhang, Yu Wan, Jian Song. Dual effects of estrogen on vascular smooth muscle cells: Receptor-mediated proliferative vs. metabolite-induced pro-senescent actions. Steroids. 2011 Feb;76(3):309-16. (*coauther)
3. Cheng B, Song J, Zou Y, Wang Q, Lei Y, Zhu C, Hu C. Responses of vascular smooth muscle cells to estrogen are dependent on balance between ERK and p38 MAPK pathway activities. Int J Cardiol. 2009 May 29;134(3):356-65.
4. Zhu C，Zheng Y，Xu J，Song J. Effects of estrogen on stress-induced senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2009; 4(40): 594-599.
5. Li C，Li Y，Zhu C，Cheng B，Wang Q，Song J. Expressions of ERa and ERb by vascular smooth muscle cells in relation with phenotypic modulation and proliferation. Chinese Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. 2009; 8, 18(4): 392-395.
Xu J，Zhu C，Wang Q，Song J. Effects of estrogen on responses of vascular smooth muscle cells to oxidative stress. Chinese Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. 2010; 12, 19(6): 537-541.
