OBJECTIVETo analyze the metabolic levels of energy and substance in chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) patients of Pi deficiency syndrome (PDS) and of Pi-Wei hygropyrexia syndrome (PWHS), including lipid, protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, trace element, and energy metabolism, and to study the pathogenesis mechanism of PDS from substance and energy metabolisms.

METHODSRecruited were 8 CSG patients who visited at First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2004 to March 2005, including 4 patients of PDS and 4 of PWHS. Their gastric mucosae were used for experiments of DNA microarray. The dual-channel DNA microarray data were bioinformatically analyzed by BRB ArrayTools and IPA Software.

RESULTSObtained were fifty-six differentially expressed genes involved in substance and energy metabolisms with the expression fold more than 2, including 11 genes up-regulated and 45 genes down-regulated. Of them, genes correlated to lipid metabolism included CRLS1, LRP11, FUT9, GPCPD1, PIGL, SULT1A4, B3GNT1, ST8SIA4, and ACADVL, mainly involved in the metabolic processes of fatty acid, cholesterol, phospholipids, and glycolipid. Genes correlated to protein metabolism included ASRGL1, AARSD1, EBNA1BP2, PUM2, MRPL52, C120RF65, PSMB8, PSME2, UBA7, RNF11, FBXO44, ZFYVE26, CHMP2A, SSR4, SNX4, RAB3B, RABL2A, GOLGA2, KDELR1, PHPT1, ACPP, PTPRF, CRKL, HDAC7, ADPRHL2, B3GNT1, ST8SIA4, DDOST, and FUT9, mainly involved in the biosynthesis processes of protein, ubiquitination, targeted transport and post-translation modification. Genes correlated to nucleic acid metabolism included DFFB, FLJ35220, TOP2A, SF3A3, CREB3, CRTC2, NR1D2, MED6, GTF2IRD1, C1ORF83, ZNF773, and ZMYND11, mainly involved in DNA replication and repair, transcription regulation. Genes correlated to carbohydrate metabolism included AGL, B3GNT1, FUT9, ST8SIA4, SULT1A4, DDOST, and PIGL, mainly involved in glucogen degradation and glycoconjugate biosynthesis. Genes correlated to trace element metabolism included COMMD1, SLC39A6, FTL, CHRFAM7A, SCGN, and S100A6, mainly involved in ion metabolisms of copper, zinc, ferri, and calcium. Genes correlated to energy metabolism included AK3 and COX7B, mainly involved in mitochondria structure and oxidative phosphorylation processes.

CONCLUSIONThe metabolic levels of energy and substance including lipid, protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, and trace element were obviously reduced in patients of PDS, which might be an important pathogenesis mechanism for its occurrence.