Effects of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis on energy metabolism and expression of the genes related to metabolism in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis, two species of Chinese medicinal herbs with hot property, on energy metabolism and gene expression spectrum, and to analyze the possible mechanism of their effects.


METHODS
Forty-eight specific pathogen free Wistar rats were randomly divided into a Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group, a Rhizoma zingiberis group, and a control group. They were intragastrically treated with concentrated decoction of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata, Rhizoma zingiberis and normal saline respectively for 20 days. Toe temperature (TT), energy intake (EI), digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME) were measured. The content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and energy charge (EC) in hepatic tissue were measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The activity of ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in the liver were detected with chemical colorimetry. The gene expression in the liver was detected with Illumina's rat Ref-12 gene array. The differential expression genes were selected, annotated and classified based on Gene Ontology (GO). Real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (Q-RT-PCR) was used to test the accuracy of results.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group, the TT on the 10(th) day after the beginning of administration and ATP in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups increased significantly (P<0.05). EI/body mass (BM), DE/BM, ME/BM, the hepatic EC and the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and SDH of liver increased significantly only in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group (P<0.05). There were 592 differential expression genes in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group and 1 159 in the Rhizoma zingiberis group compared with the control group. Among the differential expression genes, genes related to metabolic processes were the most significant based on GO analysis. There were 337 strips of gene differential expression in common in both Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups compared with the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Herbs with hot property such as Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis could improve the energy metabolism in rats, through influencing the metabolic process of sugar, lipid, and amino acid. It could also promote the production, storage, and utilization of energy by regulating the gene expression related to metabolism, which may be the main molecular mechanism of warming yang and dispelling cold for the treatment of the cold syndrome according to Chinese medicine theory.
Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
Hua-Yun
HY
Yu
Shi-Jun
SJ
Wang
Jia-Lin
JL
Teng
Xu-Ming
XM
Ji
Zhi-Chun
ZC
Wu
Qing-Cui
QC
Ma
Xian-Jun
XJ
Fu
D031841:Aconitum / Q000737:chemistry*; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry*; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases