Differences in Biological Basis and Its Effects on Vascular Endothelium in Dyslipidemic Mice with the Phlegm-Dampness Retention Syndrome and the Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome Based on RNA-seq of Vascular Endothelial Macrophages

ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to identify the differentially expressed genes and related biological processes in dyslipidemia with the Phlegm-Dampness Retention (PDR) syndrome and the Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency (SKYD) syndrome using transcriptomic analysis. Methods: Ten ApoE knockout (ApoE-/-) mice were used for the establishment of dyslipidemic disease-syndrome models via multifactor-hybrid modeling, with 5 in the the PDR group and 5 in the SKYD group. Five C57BL/6J mice were employed as normal controls (NC) group, which is not included in the current records.. Test model quality. Aortic endothelial macrophages in mice were screened using flow cytometry. Transcriptomic analysis was performed for macrophages using RNA-Seq. Results: The quality assessment of the disease-syndrome model showed that TG, TC, and LDL-C levels significantly increased in the PDR and SKYD groups versus the NC group (P < 0.05). Combined with HE staining of aorta, the disease model was successfully established. The quality assessment of the syndrome models showed that mice in the PDR group presented with typical manifestations of the PDR syndrome, and mice in the SKYD group had the related manifestations of the SKYD syndrome, indicating that the syndrome models were successfully constructed. After comparing the differentially expressed gene (DEG) expressions in macrophages in dyslipidemia mice with different syndromes, 4142 genes were identified with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis for the DEGs showed that biological process of difference between PDR group and SKYD group include both adverse and protective processes were included. Conclusion: The DEGs between the PDR syndrome and the SKYD syndrome indicate different biological mechanisms between the onset of the two syndromes. They have distinctive biological processes, including adverse and protective processes, corresponding to the invasion of pathogenic factors into the body and the fight of healthy qi against pathogenic factors, respectively, in the TCM theory. Our results have demonstrated the biological evidence behind ‘treating the same disease with different treatments’ in TCM.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE180802 | GEO | 2021/07/28

REPOSITORIES: GEO