Author(s)

Ai-Zhen Pan, Yao-Kun Hao, You-Wu Lin, Ze-Xiong Chen, Shi-Jun Zhang, Xiao Dong, Bin Hu

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Objective: to explore the mechanism of transportation and transformation of dampness by the way of the expression of organic anion transporting polypeptide (oatp) superfamily member 2a1 (oatp2a1) mRNA in rat with spleen deficiency syndrome and the significance in transportation and transformation of dampness. Methods: 32 wistar male rats were divided randomly into four groups: normal group (n = 6), normal + AA group (n = 6), spleen deficiency group (n = 10), Spleen deficiency + AA group (n = 10). After reserpine-induced spleen deficiency model was made, intragastric administration of aristolochic acid (AA) was adopted for three days, the expression of oatp2a1 mRNA were detected in the tissues of lung, liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine and large intestine in four groups by using Fluorescent Quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (FQ-PCR). Results: the expression of oatp2a1 mRNA in above six tissues could be detected. The ex-pression of oatp2a1 mRNA in liver tissue of rat with spleen deficiency syndrome was up-regulated compared to normal group (P = 0.035, P < 0.05), the expression of oatp2a1 mRNA in small intestinal tissue of rat with spleen deficiency syndrome was down-regulated compared to normal group (P = 0.004, P < 0.01), the expression of oatp2a1 in intestinal tissue in normal + AA group is down-regulated compared to normal group (P = 0.032, P < 0.05). Conclusions: oatp2a1 might be one of the material basis involved in transportation and transformation of dampness. The changes of expression of oatp2a1 mRNA in small intestine, liver tissue suggests that small intestine, liver might play an important role in the transportation and transformation of dampness in the state of spleen deficiency. We further concluded that the function of spleen’s governing transportation and transformation of dampness was not only including the function of the gastrointestinal, but also part of the liver function in some degree, which needs to be further studied.

Dampness, Spleen Deficiency Syndrome, oatp2a1

Pan, A. , Hao, Y. , Lin, Y. , Chen, Z. , Zhang, S. , Dong, X. and Hu, B. (2011) Study on the Expression of Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide (oatp2a1) in Rat with Spleen Deficiency Syndrome and the Exploration of Clinical Significance. Chinese Medicine, 2, 109-114. doi: 10.4236/cm.2011.23018.