Rao Zhou

Campus Mailing Address: R220, 1220 Capital Court, Madison, WI 53715

Major Professor:  Dr. David Abbott

Email: raozhou@primate.wisc.edu

Telephone:  (608) 265-4150

Degree Objective:  Ph.D.

Background: Undergraduate Degree: B.S. Clinical Medicine, Hunan Medical School, China

Research Projects:

  • primate model for polycystic ovary syndrome.
  • Investigated intrafollicular steroid levels in a primate model for PCOS receiving FSH therapy for IVF.
  • Characterized adrenal hyperandrogenism in early treated PA monkeys.
  • Functionally implicate insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in the mechanism of adrenal hyperandrogenism.
  • Characterize reproductive defects, such as ovarian hyperandrogenism and LH excess in PA female monkeys that undergo menstrual cycles to determine reproductive dysfunction that precedes the onset of anovulation.
  • Functionally implicated insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in the mechanism of anovulation, ovarian hyperandrogenism and LH excess in PA female monkeys (and thus demonstrate a similar underlying pathophysiological mechanism as found in women with PCOS) by using pioglitazone.
  • Chronically elevate circulating insulin levels to result in impaired ovulatory function, enhanced ovarian hyperandrogenism, and LH excess in PA female monkeys undergoing menstrual cycles, to demonstrate the key role of insulin in the onset of reproductive dysfunction.

Publications:

Zhou R, Bird IM, Dumesic DA, Abbott DH. Adrenal hyperandrogenism is induced by fetal androgen excess in a rhesus monkey model of polycystic ovary syndrome.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Dec;90(12):6630-7. Epub 2005 Sep 20.

D. A. Dumesic, R. D. Schramm, I.M. Bird, E. Peterson, A- M. Paprocki, R. Zhou, and D.H. Abbott. Reduced Intrafollicular Androstenedione and Estradiol Levels in Early-Treated Prenatally Androgenized Female Rhesus Monkeys Receiving Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Therapy for In Vitro Fertilization. Biol. Reprod., Oct 2003; 69: 1213 - 1219.

Dumesic DA, Schramm RD, Peterson E, Paprocki AM, Zhou R, Abbott DH. Impaired developmental competence of oocytes in adult prenatally androgenized female rhesus monkeys undergoing gonadotropin stimulation for in vitro fertilization. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Mar; 87(3):1111-9.

Presentations:

Zhou R , Turk JM, Hable KW, Padmanabhan V, Dumesic DA, Abbott DH. Luteal phase defects in prenatally androgenized female rhesus monkeys. Abstract P3-16 presented at the 85 th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, Philadelphia , PA. June 19-22, 2003

Abbott DH, Bruns CM, Barnett DK, Zhou R, Cloman RJ, Kemnitz JW, Padmanabhan V, Goodfriend TL, Dumesic DA. Metabolic and reproductive consequences of prenatal testosterone exposure. Basic science/clinical/translational symposium. The endocrine society's 84 th annual meeting. Philadelphia , PA. June 19-22, 2002 , Symposium S34-1.

Abbott DH, Bruns CM, Barnett DK, Sladky KK, Zhou R, ColmanRJ, Goodfriend TL, Dumesic DA. Fetal androgen excess programs for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and increased adiposity in female rhesus monkeys. Poster abstract #17 presented at the IUPS Satellite Symposium, The Prenatal Environment, Programming and Postnatal Consequences, San Diego , CA , March 28-30, 2005 .

Abbott DH, Zhou R, Bruns CM, Bird IM, Kemnitz JW, Turk J, Dumesic DA. Pioglitazone normalizes menstrual cycle duration and improves insulin sensitivity and in a nonhuman primate model for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) The Endocrine Society's 86th Annual Meeting, New Orleans , LA. June 16-18, 2004 , Abstract OR 14-3.

Zhou R , Bird IM, Dumesic DA, Abbott DH. Adrenal hyperandrogenism is induced by fetal androgen excess in a rhesus monkey model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Northwest university, Chicago. The 25th Annual Minisymposium on Reproductive Science.

Abbott DH, Zhou R, Barnett DK, Bruns CM, Bird IM, Kemnitz JW, Turk JM and Dumesic DA. 2004. Fetal androgen excess programs for polycystic ovary syndrome. Reproduction Abstract Series 31, Abstract #S6, p.5. Symposium: “Emerging Concepts in Reproductive Endocrinolgy”, Joint European Conference in Reproduction and Fertility (incorporating the SRF Annual Conference for 2004), Ghent , Belgium , April 5-7, 2004 .

Zhou R , Turk JM, Hable KW, Padmanabhan V, Dumesic DA, Abbott DH. Luteal Phase Defects in Prenatally Androgenized Female Rhesus Monkeys. Endocine-Reproductive Physiology Annual Research Symposium, Madison , WI . October 17, 2003 , Abstract 19.