[Research on the differentially expressed genes related to the relatively specific connection between the heart meridian and the heart].
OBJECTIVE
To study the scientific basis of specific correlation between the meridian and the Zang- or Fu organ by using gene differential expression (gene-chip technique) in the rat.


METHODS
Twenty-one SD rats were randomly and evenly divided into control group, sham-myocardial ischemia (MI) group, MI group, electroacupuncture (EA)-Heart-Meridian (HT) group, EA-Lung-Meridian (LU) group and EA-Small-Intestine-Meridian (SI) group. EA (frequency 2 Hz, stimulating strength 5 V, pulse duration 300 mus) was applied to "Shenmen" (HT 7)- "Tongli" (HT 5) (Heart Meridian), "Y anglao" (SI 6)- "Zhizheng" (SI 7) (Small Intestine Meridian), "Taiyuan" (LU 9)-"Lieque" (LU 7) (Lung Meridian) for 20 min, once daily and continuously for 3 days. Myocardial ischemia model was duplicated by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery, and myocardial tissue of the left ventricle was taken 3 days after EA treatment for analyzing the differentially expressed genes in different groups with rat whole gene U 230 sequence chips (offered by Affymetrix Company).


RESULTS
Compared with model group, among the differentially expressed genes being twofolds and above, the up-regulated and the down-regulated were 20 and 70 in EA-HT group, 18 and 26 in EA-SI group, and 14 and 20 in EA-LU group separately. Few same genes with the same differential expression were found among the 3 EA groups.


CONCLUSIONS
There is exactly a molecular basis in the correlation between Heart Meridian and the heart, and EA of Heart Meridian, Small Intestine Meridian and Lung Meridian have their own special signaling pathways.
Zhou
Yi-Ping
YP
Center for Researching Correlation Between Meridians and Zangfu-organs, Anhui College of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China. zhouyp@mail.hf.ah.cn
Wang
Ke-Ming
KM
Hu
Ling
L
Wu
Zi-Jian
ZJ
Zhou
Mei-Qi
MQ
Wang
Yue-Lan
YL
Yang
Huang-Tian
HT
Zhang
Fa-Bao
FB
Sun
Lu
L
D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016740:Meridians; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction