To study the influence of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis

two species of Chinese medicinal herbs with hot property

on energy metabolism and gene expression spectrum

and to analyze the possible mechanism of their effects. Forty-eight specific pathogen free Wistar rats were randomly divided into a Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group

a Rhizoma zingiberis group

and a control group. They were intragastrically treated with concentrated decoction of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata

Rhizoma zingiberis and normal saline respectively for 20 days. Toe temperature (TT)

energy intake (EI)

digestible energy (DE)

and metabolizable energy (ME) were measured. The content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and energy charge (EC) in hepatic tissue were measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The activity of ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in the liver were detected with chemical colorimetry. The gene expression in the liver was detected with Illumina’s rat Ref-12 gene array. The differential expression genes were selected

annotated and classified based on Gene Ontology (GO). Real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (Q-RT-PCR) was used to test the accuracy of results. Compared with the control group

the TT on the 10th day after the beginning of administration and ATP in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups increased significantly (P<0.05). EI/body mass (BM)

DE/BM

ME/BM

the hepatic EC and the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase

Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and SDH of liver increased significantly only in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group (P<0.05). There were 592 differential expression genes in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group and 1 159 in the Rhizoma zingiberis group compared with the control group. Among the differential expression genes

genes related to metabolic processes were the most significant based on GO analysis. There were 337 strips of gene differential expression in common in both Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups compared with the control group. Herbs with hot property such as Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis could improve the energy metabolism in rats

through influencing the metabolic process of sugar

lipid

and amino acid. It could also promote the production

storage

and utilization of energy by regulating the gene expression related to metabolism

which may be the main molecular mechanism of warming yang and dispelling cold for the treatment of the cold syndrome according to Chinese medicine theory.