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DR. JUN-FENG WANG

B. Medicine; 1986
Ph.D. - Neuroscience; 1991

Position: Assistant Professor

Department: Psychiatry

Email: junfengw@exchange.ubc.ca

Office: (604) 875-2000 ext 4726
Fax: (604) 822-0399

Research Description:

My research is on the mechanism of action of mood stabilizing drugs at molecular and cellular levels, with focus on the neuroprotective effects of these drugs against oxidative stress. Previously,we found that mood stabilizing drugs prevented oxidative damage and upregulated glutathione (GSH)/glutathione s-transferase (GST) detoxification pathway. My research objective is to understand the role of GSH/GST pathway in the pharmacological treatment of mood stabilizing drugs. Research aims are: 1) to examine if GSH and GST mediate the neuroprotective effects of mood stabilizing drugs against oxidative damage; 2) to determine the role of Nrf2 transcription factor in GSH/GST pathway regulated by mood stabilizing drugs; 3) to identify lipid peroxidation product 4-HNE oxidized protein targets and 4) to determine role of GSH/GST pathway in mood stabilizing treatment using animal models for depression and mania. This study will lead to identifying new therapeutic targets in the GSH/GST pathway for investigation in clinical trials in the near future, contributing to new and more effective therapies for bipolar disorder withfewer side effects.

Research techniques employed in my work include cell culturing, measurementof lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, TUNEL staining, real time-PCR,DNA cloning, in vitro transcription and translation, cell transfection,immunoblotting analysis, immunohistochemistry, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, locomotor activity analysis and forced swim test among others.

Selected References:

1. Shao L, Cui J, Young LT and Wang JF (2008). The effect o fmood stabilizer lithium on expression and activity of glutathiones-transferase isoenzymes. Neuroscience, 151: 518-24.

2. Wang JF (2007).Defects of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain in Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Mood Stabilizing Treatment. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,52:753-62. (Review)

3. Cui J, Shao L, Young LT and Wang JF (2007). Role ofglutathione in neuroprotective effects of mood stabilizing drugs lithium and valproate. Neuroscience, 144: 1447-53.

4. Shao L, Sun X, Xu L, Young LT andWang JF (2006). Mood stabilizing drug lithium increases expression ofendoplasmic reticulum stress proteins in primary cultured rat cerebralcortical cells. Life Science, 78:1317-23

5. Wang JF and Young LT (2006).Effects of lithium on gene expression. In  Lithium in Neuropsychiatry: TheComprehensive Guide Michael Bauer, Paul Grof and Bruno Müller-Oerlingausen,Eds., Taylor and Francis book Ltd., London, UK. Pp365-379.

6. Sun X, Wang JF,Tseng M and Young LT (2006). Down regulation in components of mitochondrialelectron transport chain in post-mortem frontal cortex from subjects withbipolar disorder. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 31:189-96.

7.Shao L, Young LT and Wang JF (2005). Chronic Treatment with Mood Stabilizers Lithium and Valproate Prevents Excitotoxicity by Inhibiting Oxidative Stressin Rat Cerebral Cortical Cells. Biological Psychiatry, 58: 879-84.

8. WangJF, Shao L, Sun X, Young LT (2004). Glutathione S-transferase is a noveltarget for mood stabilizing drugs in primary cultured neurons. Journal ofNeurochemistry. 88:1477-84.

9. Wang JF and Young LT (2004). Regulation of Molecular Chaperone GRP78 by Mood Stabilizing Drugs. Clinical NeuroscienceResearch 4, 281-288.

10. Wang JF, Azzam JE, Young LT (2003). Valproate Inhibits Oxidative Damage to Lipid and Protein in Primary Cultured RatCerebrocortical Cells. Neuroscience 116, 485-489.

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