School of Health Sciences

Wei Zheng, Ph.D. Head, School of Health Sciences Professor of Health Sciences and Toxicology Phone: (765) 496-6447 Fax: (765) 496-1377 E-mail: wzheng@purdue.edu Personal webpage: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~wzheng/index.html Full directory listing

Education

Research: Brain Barriers and Neurotoxicology, and the role of metals in neurodegenerative diseases

• Toxicology of blood-brain barrier and blood-CSF barrier
• Neurotoxicology of heavy metals such as lead, manganese, iron, aluminum, and mercury: transport, homeostasis in the CNS, and molecular mechanisms.
• Roles of brain barriers in etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.
• Transport of substances by the blood-CSF barrier in the choroid plexus.
• In vitro model of blood-brain/CSF barrier.

Representative Publications

Zheng, W, Aschner, M, Ghersi-Egea J, (2003). Brain barrier systems: a new frontier in metal neurotoxicological research. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 192, 1-11.
 
Zheng, W, Deane, R, Redzic, Z, Preston, JE, and Segal, MB (2003). Transport of L-[125I]Thyroxine by in-situ perfused ovine choroid plexus: Inhibition by Lead Exposure. J. Toxicol. Env. Health. 66, 435-451.
 
Zheng, W, and Zhao, Q (2002). Establishment and characterization of an immortalized Z310 choroidal epithelial cell line from murine choroid plexus. Brain Res. 958, 371-380.
 
Louis, ED, Zheng, W, Jurewicz, EC, Watner, D, Chen, J, Factor-Litvak, P, and Parides, M (2002). Elevation of blood beta-carboline alkaloids in essential tremor. Neurology 59, 1940-1944.
 
Zheng, W, and Zhao, Q (2002). Blood-CSF barrier in culture: Development of primary culture and transepithelial transport model from choroidal epithelial cells. Methods Mol. Biol. 188, 99-114.
 
Zheng, W (2002). Blood-brain barrier and blood-CSF barrier in metal-induced neurotoxicities. In: Handbook of Neurotoxicology, E. J. Massaro, Ed. Vol. 1. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, pp.161-193.
 
Zheng, W (2001). Neurotoxicology of the brain barrier system: New implications. J. Toxicol. � Clin. Toxicol. 39, 711-719.
 
Chen, JY, Tsao, G, and Zhao, Q, and Zheng, W (2001). Differential cytotoxicity of Mn(II) and Mn(III): special reference to mitochondrial [Fe-S] containing enzymes. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 175, 160-168.
 
Guan, Y, Louis, ED, and Zheng, W (2001) Toxicokinetics of tremorogenic natural products, harmane and harmine in male Sprague-Dawley rats. J. Toxicol. Env. Health 64, 645-660.
 
Zheng, W, and Zhao, Q (2001). Iron overload following manganese exposure in cultured neuronal, but not neuroglial cells. Brain Res. 897, 175-179.