Objective: To investigate the effect of pinggan-qianyang (PGQY), a Chinese medicine, on hypothalamic proteome in the hyperthyroid rats with hyperactivity of liver-yang, and to explore its mechanism.
Methods: The rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of levo-thyroxine (L-T4) and fuzi decotion. All the quantitative and qualitative changes of the protein expressions were compared among the normal group,the model group and the treatment group by proteomic techniques.
Results: The protein spots in the 3 groups were mainly displayed at the isoelectric point (pI) 3 approximately 10, and the molecular weights were 13.8 approximately 98.8 kD.Compared with the normal group, 6 spots of protein expression increased and 10 decreased in the model group. All the changed protein in the model group returned to normal level after PGQY treatment. Mass-spectrometer and bio-informatics indicated that these proteins were Prohibitin, Peroxiredoxin-6, histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1, protein-tyrosine-phosphatase, predicted protein, profilin-2, peroxir doxin-II, heat shock protein-27, and annexin-A1.
Conclusion: There are differences in the expression of hypothalamus proteins in the hyperthyroid rats with hyperactivity of liver-yang after the treatment with PGQY, and the 9 identified protein spots may be associated with the mechanism of PGQY.