Transcription profiling of human U937 lymphoma cells treated with paeony root (Paeoniae radix) (time series)

Paeoniflorin (PF) isolated from paeony root (Paeoniae radix) has been used as an herbal medicine in East Asis for its anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory effects. PF is known to be a chemical heat shock protein (HSP) inducer. The effects on the gene expression in human lymphoma U937 cells treated with PF were investigated using by an Affymetrix GeneChip system. PF treatment induced Hsp70 expression in U937 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner as shown in Western blot analysis. When the cells were treated with PF (160 μg/ml; 30 min), 41 up-regulated and 23 down-regulated genes were identified. Experiment Overall Design: U937 cells, a human lymphoma cell line, were treated with paeoniflorin (0.16 mg/ml; 30 min) and followed by incubation for 0, 3, and 6 h at 37°C. Non-treated cells were served as control. Total RNA samples were prepared from the cells. Gene expression was analyzed by an Affymetrix GeneChip® system with Human Expression Array U133A which was spotted with 22,283 probe sets. Sample preparation for array hybridization was carried out as described in the manufacture’s instructions.