title: Identification of genes responsive to paeoniflorin, a heat shock protein-inducing compound, in human leukemia U937 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Paeoniflorin (PF) isolated from peony root (Paeoniae radix) has been used as a herbal medicine in East Asia for its anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory effects. PF is known to cause apoptosis and to be a chemical heat shock protein (HSP) inducer. With this information, the effects on the gene expression in human leukemia U937 cells treated with PF were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  U937 cells, a human myelomonocytic cell line, were treated with PF at different concentrations (0-640 microg/ml). Expression level of Hsp70 was monitored by Western blotting. Gene expression was evaluated using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays and computational gene expression analysis tools and the results were verified by real-time quantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although cell viability was not affected after PF treatment at a high concentration of 640 microg/ml, PF treatment (80-640 microg/ml) significantly elevated Hsp70 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. When the cells were treated with PF (160 microg/ml; 30 min), 35 up-regulated and 29 down-regulated genes were identified. Among the differentially expressed genes, a significant genetic network containing CDC2, FOSL1 and EGR1 was associated with biological functions such as cell death, gene expression or cellular growth and proliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results indicate that PF affects the expression of many genes including Hsp70 and will provide a better understanding on the molecular mechanism of action of this compound in inducing HSPs in cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Thucydides L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Salunga
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Loreto B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Feril
authors.forename: Qing-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuneyama
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D039821:Monoterpenes; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020298:U937 Cells; D015854:Up-Regulation; D006027:Glycosides
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D001565:Benzoates; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D005960:Glucosides; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D039821:Monoterpenes; C015423:peoniflorin; D006027:Glycosides