title: Gene expression profiling on the molecular action of danshen-gegen formula in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: The Danshen-Gegen formula (DG) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula which has long been used to treat cardiovascular disease. DG was found to be a cardiovascular tonic in our recent research. However, a comprehensive investigation of the molecular mechanism of DG in cardiovascular disease has not been performed. The aim of this study was to clarify the transcriptional profiling of genes modulated by DG on postmenopausal women by using DNAmicroarray technology. We obtained 29 whole blood samples both from DG-treated and placebo-treated subjects. Blood lipid profile and intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured. Affymetrix GeneChip was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by validation by the real-time PCR method. The results showed that DG-treated group has a significant improvement in IMT and lipid profile as compared to placebo-treated group. For the genomic study, the DG-treated group has a higher number of DEGs identified as compared to the placebo-treated group. Two important biological processes of "regulation of systemic arterial blood pressure by hormone" and "regulation of smooth muscle proliferation" have been identified by GePS in the DG-treated group. No significant biological process and cellular components were identified in the placebo-treated group. This genomic study on the molecular action of DG in postmenopausal women gathered sufficient molecular targets and pathways to reveal that DG could improve neointima thickening and hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong ; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chi-Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Koon
authors.forename: Chun-Hay
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Xu-Xu
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Sandy Wan-Heng
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hoi
authors.forename: Jacqueline Chor-Wing
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: David Wing-Shing
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: King-Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Suet-Yee
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Wing-Man
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chook
authors.forename: Clara Bik-San
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Wai-Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Timothy Chi-Yui
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung