Yi Wang1, Guogang Dai2, Yan Xu3, Ling Jiang4, Zhibin Fu5, Jiao Xia2, Guogang Tian2, Wanli Du2. 1. Cervicodynia/Omalgia/Lumbago/Sciatica Department 2, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedics Hospital, No. 132 West First Section First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. yiwang1984@hotmail.com. 2. Cervicodynia/Omalgia/Lumbago/Sciatica Department 2, Sichuan Provincial Orthopedics Hospital, No. 132 West First Section First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. 3. Experiment Teaching Center for Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, No. 783, Xindu Avenue, Xindu District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. 4. College Hospital, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Campus, No. 211 Huiming Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. 5. Department of Lower Extremities, Sport Hospital Affiliated to Chengdu Sport Institute, No. 2, Tiyuan Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been indicated to be effective in the treatment of sciatica and is widely used in the management of this condition, the mechanism by which integrated TCM alleviates sciatica has not yet been fully defined, and the effect of integrated TCM on gene expression in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica is still unknown. We performed this study to investigate the effect of integrated TCM on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with sciatica and to explore new clues for studying the mechanism of integrated TCM in alleviating sciatica. METHODS: We used a microarray to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica and healthy controls (DEGs-baseline), bioinformatic analysis to reveal the characteristics of DEGs-baseline, and the key genes that contribute to the gene dysregulation. A microarray was also used to identify DEGs in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica after integrated TCM treatment compared with those at baseline, and the expression levels of DEGs were validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We identified 153 DEGs-baseline, which included 131 upregulated genes and 22 downregulated genes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that most of the DEGs-baseline were related to immunity and the inflammatory response and that TLR4, MMP9, MPO, CAMP, RETN, TLR5, and IL1RN were key genes involved in the dysregulation of genes in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. The expression levels of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients after integrated TCM treatment compared with that at baseline, which was accompanied by relief of pain. CONCLUSION: Integrated TCM treatment relieved pain while regulating the gene expression of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. Our study provides new clues for studying the mechanism of TCM in treating sciatica.
BACKGROUND: Although integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been indicated to be effective in the treatment of sciatica and is widely used in the management of this condition, the mechanism by which integrated TCM alleviates sciatica has not yet been fully defined, and the effect of integrated TCM on gene expression in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica is still unknown. We performed this study to investigate the effect of integrated TCM on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with sciatica and to explore new clues for studying the mechanism of integrated TCM in alleviating sciatica. METHODS: We used a microarray to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica and healthy controls (DEGs-baseline), bioinformatic analysis to reveal the characteristics of DEGs-baseline, and the key genes that contribute to the gene dysregulation. A microarray was also used to identify DEGs in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica after integrated TCM treatment compared with those at baseline, and the expression levels of DEGs were validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We identified 153 DEGs-baseline, which included 131 upregulated genes and 22 downregulated genes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that most of the DEGs-baseline were related to immunity and the inflammatory response and that TLR4, MMP9, MPO, CAMP, RETN, TLR5, and IL1RN were key genes involved in the dysregulation of genes in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. The expression levels of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients after integrated TCM treatment compared with that at baseline, which was accompanied by relief of pain. CONCLUSION: Integrated TCM treatment relieved pain while regulating the gene expression of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. Our study provides new clues for studying the mechanism of TCM in treating sciatica.
Entities:
Keywords:
Gene expression; Peripheral blood; Sciatica; Traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Neena E Rajan; Ona Bloom; Robert Maidhof; Nathanial Stetson; Barbara Sherry; Mitchell Levine; Nadeen O Chahine Journal: Spine (Phila Pa 1976) Date: 2013-07-15 Impact factor: 3.468