Title : The relationship of CCL4, BCL2A1, and NFKBIA genes with premature aging in women of yin deficiency constitution
Abstract:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) defined constitution as a health statue or physical fitness that determines individual susceptibility to diseases. Previous studies found that the characteristic genes of Yin deficiency (YinDC) are part of the inflammatory aging signaling pathways (e.g., NF-kappa B). To further reveal the dysregulation of genes associated with inflammatory aging in YinDC women, this study adopted the industrial standard of constitutional classification and screened YinDC (n=30) and Balanced constitution (n=30) from women between the ages of 35 to 49, a range categorized as the degenerating period by TCM. Five genes CCL4, BCL2A1, NFKBIA, TAK1, and IL-8 were analyzed by qRT-PCR.
Logistical regression revealed the correlation between body constitution and the expression of the five genes: the expression of NFKBIA and CCL4 mRNA was significantly up-regulated, whereas the expression of BCL2A1 mRNA was significantly down-regulated in YinDC (P<0.05). Age or weight, when included in the model, did not affected the correlations. Increased mRNA expression of CCL4 and NFKBIA and decreased mRNA expression of BCL2A1 may be the molecular basis of premature aging of YinDC women. These results provide a mechanistic basis for early conditioning of YinDC, anti-aging, and the prevention of aging-related diseases.
Audience Take Away:
- Our research focuses on women with Yin deficiency and Balanced constitution, referring to the nine body constitution models which were developed based on an epidemiological study of the Han Chinese population, and are used by TCM practitioners for disease prevention and control.
- The study revealed that the expression of NFKBIA and CCL4 mRNA was significantly up-regulated, while the expression of BCL2A1 mRNA was significantly down-regulated in YinDC, which may be the molecular basis of premature aging in YinDC women.
- These findings prove that the concept of body constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has significant theoretical and practical values in disease prevention and control, and provide insights into the early conditioning of YinDC, anti-aging strategies, and the prevention of aging-related diseases in women.
