Integrated traditional Chinese medicine alleviates sciatica while regulating gene expression in peripheral blood

Area of Science:

• Genomics and Molecular Biology
• Integrative Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Sciatica is commonly treated with integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
• The impact of integrated TCM on peripheral blood gene expression in sciatica patients is largely unknown.
• Understanding these effects can reveal novel therapeutic pathways for sciatica.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of integrated TCM on peripheral blood gene expression in sciatica patients.
• To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with sciatica and TCM treatment.
• To explore new clues for the mechanism of integrated TCM in alleviating sciatica.

Main Methods:

• Microarray analysis was employed to identify DEGs in peripheral blood of sciatica patients versus healthy controls.
• Bioinformatic analysis characterized DEGs and identified key regulatory genes.
• Gene expression changes post-integrated TCM treatment were assessed using microarrays and validated by qRT-PCR.

Main Results:

• 153 DEGs were identified at baseline, primarily related to immunity and inflammation.
• Key genes like TLR4, MMP9, and TLR5 were implicated in sciatica-related gene dysregulation.
• Integrated TCM treatment decreased the expression of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1, correlating with pain relief.

Conclusions:

• Integrated TCM effectively relieves sciatica pain by modulating specific gene expressions in peripheral blood.
• The study identified key genes (TLR5, IL1RN, etc.) regulated by TCM treatment in sciatica patients.
• These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of TCM for sciatica treatment.