UPLC-QTOF/MS-based metabolomics analysis of plasma reveals an effect of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu capsules on blood-stasis syndrome in CHD rats

Distinct metabolites in atherosclerosis based on metabolomics: A systematic review and meta-analysis primarily in Chinese population

AIMS

Atherosclerosis is a life-threatening disease that develops when a plaque builds up inside an artery and progresses silently. Identifying the early pathological changes and the biomarkers of atherosclerosis deserves attention. We aimed to systematically study and integrate the various metabolites of atherosclerosis in the level of disease to provide more evidences to support early prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The protocol was registered with PROPSERO (CRD42023441845). We searched 14,985 records via EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, WanFang data, VIP data, and CNKI databases. The collected metabolites were for qualitative and quantitative meta-analysis. The I2 statistic estimated heterogeneity, with over 50 % considered to adopt the random-effects model. A total of 49 articles were included in the meta-analysis. We finally integrated 83 and 16 metabolites presented more than two times in inclusion studies, respectively in blood (plasma and serum) and urine. Among them, the level of citric acid (SMD = -10.35 [95%CI -15.03, -5.67], p < 0.001), lactic acid (SMD = 6.32 [95%CI 0.12, 12.52], p < 0.001) and TMAO (SMD = 1.40 [95%CI 0.27, 2.53], p < 0.001) had significant differences between atherosclerosis and controls. And we observed blood stasis syndrome of atherosclerosis patients present arterial ischemia and energy disorder obviously.

CONCLUSIONS

The study provides an in-depth understanding of the roles of metabolites on atherosclerosis progression and prediction primarily in Chinese population, which contributing to development of prevention and therapeutic potential in the future.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking approach to explore the potential mechanisms of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule in coronary heart disease

Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule (XFZYC) plays a pivotal role in treating coronary heart disease (CHD) because of its potent clinical effects and fewer side effects. However, the possible pharmacological effect on CHD is limited. Thus, this research systematically analyzes XFZYC and CHD through network pharmacology technology. We identified 139 active compounds and 127 overlapped target genes in 11 herbs of XFZYC by using network pharmacology, and these 127 genes regulated the major signaling pathways related to CHD. The analysis of protein-protein interaction networks demonstrated that 30 important gene targets, such as interleukin-6, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, protein kinase B1, mitogen activated protein kinases 3, cellular tumor antigen p53, vascular endothelial growth factor A, transcription factor p65, and proto-oncogene c-Fos, participated in the regulation of 79 major signaling pathways related to CHD. On this basis, we found that protein kinase B1, cellular tumor antigen p53, and transcription factor p65, which played a role in multiple regulatory pathways of the network, were also regulated by more than 3 compounds and expressed in at least 4 herbs. Molecular docking showed that XFZYC had a good binding potential with the overlapped protein targets. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the active targets involved a various of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function, which included the key ones such as positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter, plasma membrane, and protein binding. T cell receptor signaling pathway, programmed death-ligand 1 expression and programmed death cell receptor-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer, FOXO signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, interleukin-17 signaling pathway, and VEGF signaling pathway, which were selected from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, were closely related to XFZYC in the treatment of CHD. XFZYC has a potential pharmacological effect on CHD, which provides the value for further study of XFZYC's therapeutic effect on CHD.

Integrated Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology Study on the Mechanism of Rehmanniae radix Extract for Treating Thrombosis

Background

Rehmanniae Radix (RR) has received attention for its antithrombotic effect. However, few studies have independently explored the bioactive components responsible for its antithrombotic bioactivity and the potential mechanism. We aimed to reveal the antithrombotic mechanisms of RR by using metabolomics integrated with network pharmacology.

Methods

A thrombosis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of type I carrageenan in rats, and antithrombotic function was evaluated at different doses of RR. Metabolomics was used to identify the differential metabolites in the serum. Network pharmacology was then applied to identify the potential targets for the antithrombotic activity of the RR. An integrated network of metabolomics and network pharmacology was constructed using Cytoscape. Finally, key targets were verified using molecular docking.

Results

RR at 5.4 g/kg significantly alleviated the thrombosis. Thirteen potentially significant metabolites were involved in the therapeutic effects of RR against thrombosis, most of which were regulated for recovery after RR treatment. An integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology showed that the antithrombosis effect of RR was closely associated with the regulation of PLA2G2A, PTGS1, ALOX5, and CYP2C9. Molecular docking showed high affinity between the key targets and components of RR. We speculated that the components of RR, such as catalpol, ferulic acid methyl ester, and methyl 4-hydroxycinnamate, might act on key proteins, including PLA2G2A, PTGS1, and ALOX5, to exert antithrombosis effects.

Conclusion

This study confirmed the antithrombotic effect of high-dose RR, revealed the antithrombotic mechanism and potential material basis, and laid the foundation for the antithrombotic clinical application of RR. Furthermore, it provides a successful case reference for screening natural herbal components and exploring their potential pharmacological mechanisms.

Large-scale, comprehensive plasma metabolomic analyses reveal potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of early-stage coronary atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) is a prevalent and chronic life-threatening disease. However, the detection of CAS at an early stage is difficult because of the lack of effective noninvasive diagnostic methods. The present study aimed to characterize the plasma metabolome of early-stage CAS patients to discover metabolomic biomarkers, develop a novel metabolite-based model for accurate noninvasive diagnosis of early-stage CAS, and explore the underlying metabolic mechanisms involved.

METHODS

A total of 100 patients with early-stage CAS and 120 age- and sex-matched control subjects were recruited from the Chinese Han population and further randomly divided into training (n = 120) and test sets (n = 100). The metabolomic profiles of the plasma samples were analyzed by an integrated untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach, including two separation modes and two ionization modes. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed to identify potential biomarkers and construct an early-stage CAS diagnostic model.

RESULTS

The integrated analytical method established herein improved metabolite coverage compared with single chromatographic separation and MS ionization mode. A total of 80 metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers of early-stage CAS, and these metabolites were mainly involved in glycerophospholipid, fatty acid, sphingolipid, and amino acid metabolism. An effective diagnostic model for early-stage CAS was established, incorporating 11 metabolites and achieving areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 0.984 and 0.908 in the training and test sets, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study not only successfully developed an effective noninvasive diagnostic model for identifying early-stage CAS but also provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of CAS.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine on metabolism disturbance in ischemic heart diseases

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ischemic heart diseases (IHD), characterized by metabolic dysregulation, contributes majorly to the global morbidity and mortality. Glucose, lipid and amino acid metabolism are critical energy production for cardiomyocytes, and disturbances of these metabolism lead to the cardiac injury. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), widely used for treating IHD, have been demonstrated to effectively and safely regulate the cardiac metabolism reprogramming.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This study discussed and analyzed the disturbed cardiac metabolism induced by IHD and development of formulas, extracts, single herb, bioactive compounds of TCM ameliorating IHD injury via metabolism regulation, with the aim of providing a basis for the development of clinical application of therapeutic strategies for TCM in IHD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With "ischemic heart disease", "myocardial infarction", "myocardial ischemia", "metabolomics", "Chinese medicine", "herb", "extracts" "medicinal plants", "glucose", "lipid metabolism", "amino acid" as the main keywords, PubMed, Web of Science, and other online search engines were used for literature retrieval.

RESULTS

IHD exhibits a close association with metabolism disorders, including but not limited to glycolysis, the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, branched-chain amino acids, fatty acid β-oxidation, ketone body metabolism, sphingolipid and glycerol-phospholipid metabolism. The therapeutic potential of TCM lies in its ability to regulate these disturbed cardiac metabolisms. Additionally, the active ingredients of TCM have depicted wonderful effects in cardiac metabolism reprogramming in IHD.

CONCLUSION

Drawing from the principles of TCM, we have pinpointed specific herbal remedies for the treatment of IHD, and leveraged advanced metabolomics technologies to uncover the effect of these TCMs on metabolomics alteration. In the future, further clinical experimental studies should be included to explore whether more TCM medicines can play a therapeutic role in IHD by reversing cardiac metabolism disorders; multi-omics would be conducted to explore more pathways and genes targeting such metabolism reprogramming by TCMs, and to seek more TCM therapies for IHD.

Deciphering feedback regulation of prostaglandin F2α in blood stasis syndrome using nitrogen-doped porous transition metal carbides

Blood stasis syndrome (BSS) has persistent health risks; however, its pathogenesis remains elusive. This obscurity may result in missed opportunities for early intervention, increased susceptibility to chronic diseases, and reduced accuracy and efficacy of treatments. Metabolomics, employing the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) strategy, presents distinct advantages in biomarker discovery and unraveling molecular mechanisms. Nonetheless, the challenge is to develop efficient matrices for high-sensitivity and high-throughput analysis of diverse potential biomarkers in complex biosamples. This work utilized nitrogen-doped porous transition metal carbides and nitrides (NP-MXene) as a MALDI matrix to delve into the molecular mechanisms underlying BSS pathogenesis. Structural optimization yielded heightened peak sensitivity (by 1.49-fold) and increased peak numbers (by 1.16-fold) in clinical biosamples. Validation with animal models and clinical serum biosamples revealed significant differences in metabolic fingerprints between BSS and control groups, achieving an overall diagnostic efficacy of 0.905 (95% CI, 0.76-0.979). Prostaglandin F2α was identified as a potential biomarker (diagnostics efficiency of 0.711, specificity = 0.7, sensitivity = 0.6), and pathway enrichment analysis disclosed disruptions in arachidonic acid metabolism in BSS. This innovative approach not only advances comprehension of BSS pathogenesis, but also provides valuable insights for personalized treatment and diagnostic precision.

Cyclocarya paliurus leaves alleviate high-sucrose diet-induced obesity by improving intestinal metabolic disorders

High-sucrose diets are common in daily life but harmful to human health. Cyclocarya paliurus leaves (CPL) are a kind of tea used to alleviate metabolic diseases and are widely used in China. However, the effects of CPL on high-sucrose-induced obesity are unknown. This study aimed to describe the changes in gut metabolism induced by a high-sucrose diet and to reveal the potential mechanisms through which CPL alleviate high-sucrose diet-induced obesity. A high-sucrose-induced obesity model was generated in C57BL/6J and KM mice. The effects of CPL on obese mice were evaluated, and changes in the gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites induced by CPL treatment were observed. Furthermore, the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) method was used to prove that the effects of CPL on high-sucrose induced obesity depend on the changes of gut microbiota. The results of the C57BL/6J mouse experiment revealed that high-sucrose intake induced fat deposition and altered the gut microbiota. CPL treatment decreased fat deposition and alleviated disorders of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, CPL treatment increased the utilization of amnio acids, long fatty acids and saccharides and produced more bile acids, indole derivatives and less trimethylamine (TMA). A confirmatory experiment in KM mice also revealed that CPL can alleviate obesity, ameliorate intestinal metabolic disorders, and upregulate the expression of tight junction proteins in the intestinal mucosa. These results demonstrated that CPL could prevent high sucrose-induced obesity and generate more beneficial intestinal microbial metabolites but less harmful intestinal microbial metabolites.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in improving hepatic fibrosis based on inhibiting pathological angiogenesis

Hepatic fibrosis is the formation of scar tissue in the liver. This scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and can lead to liver dysfunction and failure if left untreated. It is usually caused by chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis B or C, alcohol abuse, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Pathological angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development of hepatic fibrosis by promoting the growth of new blood vessels in the liver. These new vessels increase blood flow to the damaged areas of the liver, which triggers the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs are responsible for producing excess collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis. Pathological angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development of hepatic fibrosis by promoting the growth of new blood vessels in the liver. These new vessels increase blood flow to the damaged areas of the liver, which triggers the activation of HSCs. HSCs are responsible for producing excess collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been found to target pathological angiogenesis, thereby providing a potential treatment option for hepatic fibrosis. Several studies have demonstrated that TCM exhibits anti-angiogenic effects by inhibiting the production of pro-angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2, and by reducing the proliferation of endothelial cells. Reviewing and highlighting the unique TCM recognition of treating hepatic fibrosis by targeting pathological angiogenesis may shed light on future hepatic fibrosis research.

Bioactive components and molecular mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge in promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) is an outstanding herbal medicine with various traditional effects, especially promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. It has been widely used for centuries to treat blood stasis syndrome (BSS)-related diseases. BSS is one of the basic pathological syndromes of diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in traditional East Asian medicine, which is characterized by disturbance of blood circulation. However, the bioactive components and mechanisms of SM in the treatment of BSS have not been systematically reviewed. Therefore, this article outlines the anti-BSS effects of bioactive components of SM, concentrating on the molecular mechanisms.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To summarize the bioactive components of SM against BSS and highlight its potential targets and signaling pathways, hoping to provide a modern biomedical perspective to understand the efficacy of SM on enhancing blood circulation to remove blood stasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed to retrieve articles published in the last two decades on bioactive components of SM used for BSS treatment from the online electronic medical literature database (PubMed).

RESULTS

Phenolic acids and tanshinones in SM are the main bioactive components in the treatment of BSS, including but not limited to salvianolic acid B, tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid A, cryptotanshinone, Danshensu, dihydrotanshinone, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, and caffeic acid. They protect vascular endothelial cells by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory damage and regulating of NO/ET-1 levels. They also enhance anticoagulant and fibrinolytic capacity, inhibit platelet activation and aggregation, and dilate blood vessels. Moreover, lowering blood lipids and improving blood rheological properties may be the underlying mechanisms of their anti-BSS. More notably, these compounds play an anti-BSS role by mediating multiple signaling pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1, TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/eNOS, MAPKs (p38, ERK, and JNK), and Ca2+/K+ channels.

CONCLUSIONS

Both phenolic acids and tanshinones in SM may act synergistically to target different signaling pathways to achieve the effect of promoting blood circulation.

Fluoride induced metabolic disorder of endothelial cells

Endemic fluorosis is a global public health problem. Cardiovascular diseases caused by fluoride are closely related to endothelial cell injury. Metabolism disorder of endothelial cells (ECs) are recognized as the key factor of endothelial dysfunction which has been a hot topic in recent years. However, the toxic effect of fluoride on vascular endothelium has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore the alteration of endothelial cell metabolites in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) exposed to NaF using LC-MS/MS technique. The screening conditions were Variable Importance for the Projection (VIP) > 1 and P < 0.05. It was found that the expression of the metabolites Lumichrome and S-Methyl-5'-thioadenosine was upregulated and of the other metabolites, such as Creatine, L-Glutamate, Stearic acid was downregulated. Differential metabolites were found to be primarily related to FoxO、PI3K/Akt and apoptosis signaling pathways by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. From the perspective of metabolism, this study explored the possible mechanism of fluoride induced endothelial cell injury which providing theories and clues for subsequent studies.

Efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease: A study protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in treatment strategies for coronary heart disease, angina pectoris remains a major cardiovascular disease causing death worldwide. For patients with angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, new or adjuvant treatment regimens are needed. The available evidence suggests that Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine has advantages in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, but whether its efficacy has a placebo effect and whether it can be used as an adjuvant regimen for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease remains controversial.

METHODS

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to study the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease. Participants will be randomly divided into a treatment group or a control group, and all patients will receive Western medicine treatment based on guideline recommendations. On this basis, the treatment group orally takes Xuefu Zhuyu Granules and the control group orally takes Xuefu Zhuyu Granules mimic, and are followed up for 24 weeks after 12 weeks of continuous treatment. The observation indexes include: cardiac function parameters (left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; left ventricular end-systolic diameter; left ventricular ejection fraction, blood lipid levels (total cholesterol; triacylglycerol; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), the number of angina attacks per week, total amount of nitroglycerin tablets taken, and adverse reactions. Finally, SPSS22.0 (IBM Company, New York, NY) software will be used for statistical analysis of the data.

DISCUSSION

This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules combined with Western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease. The results of this study will verify whether the efficacy of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease belongs to the placebo effect, which will also provide a reference for the clinical use of Xuefu Zhuyu Granules as a supplementary scheme for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease.

Quality evaluation of raw and processed Corni Fructus by UHPLC-QTOF-MS and HPLC coupled with color determination

Corni Fructus (CF), used for thousands of years in Asia as food and medicine, has different therapeutic effects before and after processing. In the past work, the quality assessment of Corni Fructus focused on the limited chemical compounds and rarely correlated external properties, such as color. The traditional sensory assessment relies partly on human eyes, which is quick but lacks objectivity. On a Shimadzu LC-20AD liquid chromatograph system equipped with a diode-array detector (DAD), we determined six major compounds (gallic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, morroniside, loganin, sweroside, and cornuside I). The extract was analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) after the solid-phase extraction (SPE) step. Totally 58 compounds in raw and processed Corni Fructus were identified in negative and positive ion modes according to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragments. Iridoids, carboxylic acids, tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes, fatty acids, saccharides, phospholipids, polysaccharide, amino acid, amide, furan, catechol, aldehyde, fatty alcohol and vitamin were included. A multivariate statistical analysis based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS filtered 17 differential compounds between raw and processed products. The CM-5 colorimeter was applied for digitizing surface and powder color. The contents of gallic acid, morroniside, loganin, cornuside I, and sweroside significantly correlated with color parameters in raw Corni Fructus, particularly adp* and bdp* , but not in processed products, according to Spearman correlation analysis. MS peak area of four compounds in raw products correlated significantly with color parameters Ldp* , adp* , bdp* , Lpd* , apd* , bpd* , respectively, while three compounds in processed products with Lpd* , apd* , bpd* . It revealed the relationship between compounds and color of Corni Fructus and the crucial compounds to color. In this study, we successfully developed a method for comprehensive quality evaluation of Corni Fructus that combines HPLC, UHPLC-QTOF-MS, and color determination.

Exploring the Mechanism of Hawthorn Leaves Against Coronary Heart Disease Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Hawthorn leaves, which is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for treating coronary heart disease (CHD) for a long time in China. But the limited understanding of the main active components and molecular mechanisms of this traditional medicine has restricted its application and further research. The active compounds of hawthorn leaves were obtained from TCMSP database and SymMap database. The targets of it were predicted based on TCMSP, PubChem, Swiss Target Prediction, and SymMap database. The putative targets of CHD were gathered from multi-sources databases including the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database, the DrugBank database, the GeneCards database and the DisGeNet database. Network topology analysis, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed to select the key targets and pathways. Molecular docking was performed to demonstrate the binding capacity of the key compounds to the predicted targets. Furthermore, RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were treated with three effective compounds of hawthorn leaves to assess reliability of prediction. Quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol were main active compounds in hawthorn leaves. Forty four candidate therapeutic targets were identified to be involved in protection of hawthorn leaves against CHD. Additionally, the effective compounds of it had good binding affinities to PTGS2, EGFR, and MMP2. Enrichment analyses suggested that immune inflammation related biological processes and pathways were possibly the potential mechanism. Besides, we found that three predicted effective compounds of hawthorn leaves decreased protein expression of PTGS2, MMP2, MMP9, IL6, IL1B, TNFα and inhibited activation of macrophage. In summary, the present study demonstrates that quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin are proved to be the main effective compounds of hawthorn leaves in treatment of CHD, possibly by suppressing expression of PTGS2, MMP2, MMP9, inflammatory cytokines and macrophages viability. This study provides a new understanding of the active components and mechanisms of hawthorn leaves treating CHD from the perspective of network pharmacology.

Measurement of Naringin from Citrus Fruits by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography - a Review

Naringin is a flavonoid found primarily in citrus species with especially high concentrations being present in grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), bitter orange (Citrus aurantium), and pomelo (Citrus grandis). Because of its many positive effects on human health, naringin has been the focus of increasing attention in recent years. Recently, conventional extraction methods have been commonly replaced with unconventional methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and other, more eco-friendly extraction methods requiring little-to-no environmentally harmful solvents or significantly less energy. Naringin analysis is most commonly done via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS) or a photodiode array (DAD) detector. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of recent trends developments in the extraction, sample preparation, and liquid chromatographic analysis of the compound originating from citrus fruits or their products.

UPLC-MS-Based Serum Metabolic Profiling Reveals Potential Biomarkers for Predicting Propofol Responsiveness in Females

Although previous studies have shown that certain factors interfere with the sensitivity of propofol, the mechanisms for interindividual variability in response to propofol remain unclear. This study aimed to screen the metabolites to predict patients' sensitivity to propofol and to identify metabolic pathways to explore possible mechanisms associated with propofol resistance. Sera from 40 female patients undergoing elective hysteroscopic surgery in a prospective cohort propofol study were obtained before the administration of propofol. The patients' responsiveness to propofol was differentiated based on propofol effect-site concentration. Serum samples from two sets, a discovery set (n = 24) and an independent validation set (n = 16), were analyzed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry based untargeted metabolomics. In the discovery set, 494 differential metabolites were screened out, and then 391 potential candidate biomarkers with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve >0.80 were selected. Pathway analysis showed that the pathway of glycerophospholipid metabolism was the most influential pathway. In the independent validation set, six potential biomarkers enabled the discrimination of poor responders from good and intermediate responders, which might be applied to predict propofol sensitivity. The mass spectrometry data are available via MetaboLights (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/login) with the identifier MTBLS2311.

Ge-Gen-Jiao-Tai-Wan Affects Type 2 Diabetic Rats by Regulating Gut Microbiota and Primary Bile Acids

The Ge-Gen-Jiao-Tai-Wan (GGJTW) formula has been used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in China for a long time. Our previous study has proved that GGJTW could alleviate the type 2 diabetic symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the changes in gut microbiota and primary bile acids (PBAs) to determine the potential mechanisms of GGJTW in treating T2DM.The fecal transplant method and pseudogerm-free rats were used in our study.The16S rRNA gene sequencing method was used to analyze the changes in the intestinal flora, and PBAs in the colon contents were detected. Finally, the expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), G protein-coupled membrane receptor 5 (TGR5), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was assessed. Following GGJTW treatment, we observed a decrease in blood glucose levels and improvements in glucose tolerance and serum lipid levels. Furthermore, we found that GGJTW could regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and upregulate the diabetic beneficial phylum Firmicutes and bile-acid-related genus Lactobacillus. PBAs in the colon contents were increased in the GGJTW-treated group, accompanied by upregulated expression of the bile acid receptors FXR and TGR5 and increased concentrations of GLP-1. These results indicated that GGJTW could alleviate symptoms of type 2 diabetic rats by regulating the gut microbiota, promoting the production of PBAs, and upregulating the PBA-FXR/TGR5-GLP-1 pathway.

Studies on effect of Tongfengxiaofang in HUM model mice using a UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS metabolomic approach

Hyperuricemia (HUM) is a major risk factor for the development of gout. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) complex prescription Tongfengxiaofang (TFXF) is composed of a variety of TCMs. To study the therapeutic effect of TFXF on HUM mice and the mechanisms by which it exerts a therapeutic effect, the biochemical indices were measured and qPCR technique was used. In addition, plasma metabolomics analysis was carried out based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS to evaluate the characteristics of the metabolic spectrum changes. TFXF significantly downregulated the contents of uric acid, urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum and the concentration of xanthine oxidase in liver of HUM mice. In addition, TFXF significantly inhibited the overexpression of uric acid transporter 1 and glucose transporter 9 and upregulated the expression of organic anion transporter 1 in the kidney. A total of 152 metabolites were identified and 11 key biomarkers were further selected from these pathways to understand the mechanism of TFXF on the arginine biosynthesis, galactose metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The results of this confirmed the effect of TFXF on HUM and revealed the metabolic activity mechanism.

A Novel Research Technology to Explore the Mystery of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Optogenetics

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gaining increasing popularity worldwide for the function of health promotion and adjuvant therapy. However, the world's understanding of TCM is far from enough, which seriously limits the modernization and internationalization of TCM. Therefore, modern and efficient analytical methods are urgently needed to understand the mechanism of TCM. Optogenetics is one of the most prevalent technologies in the 21st century and has been used to explore life science, especially neuroscience. It already has had great influences in the study of neural circuits and animal models of mental diseases and was named “Method of the Year” by the Nature Methods journal in 2010. Increased interests occurred in the applications of optogenetics to explore a myriad of medical and mental health disorders. However, it has not so far been noticed by TCM researchers. We elaborated on an idea that introducing this technique into the field of TCM research to improve diagnosis, treatments, and evaluating the therapeutic effects. In this review, we made a systematic prospect in the theory, feasibility, and application of TCM optogenetics. We mainly focused on applying optogenetic methodologies to make a more comprehensive understanding of TCM.

1H NMR-based metabolomics study of the dynamic effect of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu capsules on coronary heart disease rats induced by high-fat diet, coronary artery ligation

An ¹H NMR-based metabolomics approach was conducted to holisticly explore the effect of Xue Fu Zhu Yu (XFZY) capsule (a well-known Chinese herbal medicine) on high-fat diets combined with coronary artery ligation induced coronary heart disease (CHD) model rats. 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach combined with multivariate analysis was performed to explore potential biomarkers, a total of 20 metabolites were confirmed as contributors to the discrimination of model group and sham group. We investigated the dynamic metabolic characteristics of XFZY capsule on CHD rats, lactate, glutamine, pyruvate, citrate, choline and taurine were potential biomarkers of early effect. More potential biomarkers changed after 28 days of medication, XFZY capsules primarily influenced the taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, purine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis.

Metabolomics strategy reveals the osteogenic mechanism of yak (Bos grunniens) bone collagen peptides on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats

Our previous work demonstrated that yak bone collagen peptides (YBP) possessed excellent osteogenic activity in vitro. However, associations between YBP and osteoporosis were less established, and the positive effect and underlying mechanism of YBP in the treatment of osteoporotic rats in vivo remained unclear. Herein, ovariectomized rats were intragastrically administered with YBP or 17β-estradiol for 12 weeks. Bone turnover markers, bone biomechanical parameters and bone microarchitecture were investigated to identify the specific changes of potential antagonistic effects of YBP on ovariectomized rats. Then, serum samples were analyzed by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS to identify metabolites. The results showed that YBP treatment remarkably altered the content of serum bone turnover markers and prevented the ovariectomy-induced deterioration of bone mechanical and microarchitecture characteristics. A total of forty-one biomarkers for which levels changed markedly upon treatment have been identified based on non-targeted metabolomics. Among them, twenty-one metabolites displayed a downward expression level, while twenty metabolites showed an upward expression level in the YBP group and finally were selected as potential biomarkers. The levels of these biomarkers displayed significant alterations and a tendency to be restored to normal values in YBP treated osteoporotic rats. A systematic network analysis of their corresponding pathways delineated that the protective or recovery effect of YBP on osteoporosis occurred primarily by regulating the amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism (especially unsaturated fatty acid). Collectively, these findings highlight that such peptides hold promise in further advancement as a natural alternative for functional and health-promoting foods, which could be potentially used in mediated treatment of osteoporosis.

Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharides alleviate type 2 diabetic symptoms by modulating gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids

BACKGROUND

Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharide (CCPP), a primary active component in the leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinsk (C. paliurus), has the ability to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but cannot be digested by our digestive system. Therefore, mechanisms of regulating the gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites might exist.

PURPOSE

To reveal the potential mechanism of CCPP treatment, this study aimed to investigate the alterations of the gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites especially short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in type 2 diabetic rats.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Type 2 diabetic rat models were developed, and the therapeutic effects of CCPP were evaluated. Metagenomics analysis was utilized to analyze the alterations to the gut microbiota, and UHPLC-QTOF/MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis of colon contents was used to identify the differential intestinal metabolites. GC/MS was used to measure the SCFAs in rat's colon contents and human fecal inoculums. Furthermore, the expression of SCFA receptors including GPR41, GPR43 and GPR109a was verified by qRT-PCR and the concentration of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and peptide tyrosinetyrosine (PYY) was measured by Elisa.

RESULTS

Inhibition of the blood glucose levels and improvements in glucose tolerance and serum lipid parameters were observed after CCPP treatment. Eleven SCFA-producing species including Ruminococcus_bromii, Anaerotruncus_colihominis, Clostridium_methylpentosum, Roseburia_intestinalis, Roseburia_hominis, Clostridium_asparagiforme, Pseudoflavonifractor_capillosus, Intestinimonas_butyriciproducens, Intestinimonas_sp._GD2, Oscillibacter_valericigenes and Oscillibacter_ruminantium were clearly increased in the CCPP group. Furthermore, our study indicated that CCPP increases the production of SCFAs both in vivo and in vitro, and the gut microbiota are the key factor of this process. The SCFA receptors including GPR41, GPR43 and GPR109a, were significantly stimulated in the CCPP treated rats, which was accompanied by the upregulated expression of GLP-1 and PYY.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrated that CCPP could alleviate type 2 diabetic symptoms by increasing the SCFA-producing bacteria, promoting the production of SCFAs and upregulating SCFA-GLP1/PYY associated sensory mediators.

Metabolomics Deciphers Potential Targets of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction Against Traumatic Brain Injury in Rat

Xuefu Zhuyu decoction (XFZYD) performs multiple functions for traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment. However, its clinical application is limited by the incomplete exploration of targets and inadequate discussion of mechanisms. We aimed to investigate the metabolic alterations of XFZYD in acute and chronic stages of TBI. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham, controlled cortical impact (CCI) and XFZYD group. Behavioral and histopathological tests were used to evaluate the neuroprotective effects. Coagulation assays were performed to assess safety. Moreover, we analyzed the metabolomic profiling of hippocampal samples with different time intervals after CCI by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Differential metabolites were screened by multivariate data analysis. To further uncover the association between candidate metabolites and biological interaction networks, we applied bioinformatics analysis using MetaboAnalyst 4.0, STITCH 5.0 and TCMSP. The potential mechanism was verified by ELISA and Western blot. XFZYD ameliorated neurological deficiencies post-CCI without impairing blood coagulation in the rat’s model. Seventeen and fourteen metabolites were filtered on d 3 and 21, respectively. Eleven of potential metabolites were common at these time points, involving two significant pathways (arginine and proline metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the related pathways were specifically affected by XFZYD at the acute phase of TBI, while biosynthesis of amino acids was the major pathway influenced at the chronic phase. This study provides broad insights into the therapeutic effects of XFZYD in treating TBI through the whole phases.

Berberine alleviates type 2 diabetic symptoms by altering gut microbiota and reducing aromatic amino acids

OBJECTIVE

Berberine (BBR), which is extracted from traditional Chinese herb, is abundant in Coptis chinensis and Berberis vulgaris, with a treatment on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, its oral bioavailability is poor. Therefore, the ability of BBR to regulate gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites might exist. This study aimed to investigate changes in gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites, and to reveal the potential mechanism of BBR.

METHODS

To observe the role of gut microbiota in the treatment of T2DM by BBR, antibiotics intervened gut microbiota was used in this study, and the therapeutic effects of BBR were evaluated. A 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach was utilized to analyze gut microbiota alterations, and UHPLC-QTOF/MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis of colon contents was used to identity differential intestinal metabolites. Finally, serum aromatic amino acids (AAAs) were absolutely quantified using LC/MS.

RESULTS

Inhibition of the blood glucose levels, and improvements in glucose tolerance and serum lipid parameters were observed in the BBR treated group. Type 2 diabetic symptoms in rats in the BA group (treated with antibotics and BBR) were alleviated. However, the therapeutical effects are weaker in the BA group compared with the BBR group, indicating that BBR can be used to treat type 2 diabetic rats immediately, and modulation of gut microbiota is related to the mechanism of BBR in the treatment of T2DM. The community richness and diversity of the gut microbiota were significantly increased by BBR, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was increased in the BBR group, which was accompanied by a decreased relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia at the phylum level. At the family level, a probiotic Lactobacillaceae was significantly upregulated not only in the BBR group but also in the BA group and was negatively associated with the risk of T2DM. Metabolomic analysis of colon contents identified 55 differential intestinal metabolites between the BBR group and the model group. AAAs, including tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine, were obviously decreased in the BBR group not only in the colon contents but also in the serum.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrated that BBR could alleviate symptoms in type 2 diabetic rats by affecting gut microbiota composition and reducing the concentration of AAAs.

Fuling-Guizhi Herb Pair in Coronary Heart Disease: Integrating Network Pharmacology and In Vivo Pharmacological Evaluation

The Fuling (Poria cocos)-Guizhi (Cinnamomi ramulus) herb pair (FGHP) is a commonly used traditional Chinese herbal formula with coronary heart disease (CHD) treatment potential. However, the mechanism of FGHP in the treatment of CHD was still unclear. In this study, the action targets and underlying mechanism of FGHP against CHD were successfully achieved by combined network pharmacology prediction with experimental verification. 76 common targets were screened out by overlapping the chemical-protein data of FGHP and CHD-related targets. Then, two key targets were further selected for verification by using western blot analysis after analyzing PPI, GO function, and KEGG pathway. Results indicated FGHP could alleviate CHD syndromes and regulate inflammatory responses in acute myocardial ischemia rats, and the reduction of expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in myocardial tissue would be one of its possible underlying mechanisms. Our work demonstrated that network pharmacology combined with experimental verification provides a credible method to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of FGHP against CHD.

The Effect of Simvastatin on Gut Microbiota and Lipid Metabolism in Hyperlipidemic Rats Induced by a High-Fat Diet

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of simvastatin (SIM) on lipid metabolism disorders and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. The obtained results revealed that feeding rats with SIM (20 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased serum lipid level and inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis. Histological analysis further indicated that SIM reduced lipid deposition in adipocytes and hepatocytes in comparison with that of the HFD group. The underlying mechanisms of SIM administration against HFD-induced hyperlipidemia were also studied by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based liver metabonomics coupled with pathway analysis. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis of liver metabolites with significant difference in abundance indicated that fatty acids metabolism and amino acid metabolism were the main metabolic pathways altered by SIM administration. Meanwhile, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) analysis revealed that oral administration of SIM altered the composition of gut microbiota, including Ruminococcaceae (OTU960) and Lactobacillus (OTU152), and so on. Furthermore, SIM treatment also regulated the mRNA levels of the genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of the liver-related proteins (CD36, CYP7A1 and SREBP-1C) showed that oral administration of SIM could regulate the levels of the protein expression related to hepatic lipid metabolism.

Microbiota and metabolome responses in the cecum and serum of broiler chickens fed with plant essential oils or virginiamycin

This study investigated the cecal microbiota and serum metabolite profile of chickens fed with plant essential oils (PEO) or virginiamycin (VIRG) using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics approach. The main aim of this work was to explore the biochemical mechanisms involved in the improved growth performance of antibiotics and their alternatives in animal production. The results showed that both PEO and VIRG treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of phyla Bacteroidetes and decreased the abundance of phyla Firmicutes and genus of Lactobacillus in cecal microbiota of chickens. Compared to the control group (CT group), the relative abundance of genus of Alistipes, unclassified Rikenellaceae, Roseburia, and Anaeroplasma was enriched in the PEO group; that of genus Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae was enriched in the cecal microbiota of the VIRG group. Untargeted metabolomics analyses revealed that the PEO treatment modified 102 metabolites and 3 KEGG pathways (primary bile acid biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism) in the cecal microbiota, and 81 metabolites and relevant KEGG pathways (fructose and mannose metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and linoleic acid.) in the serum of the chicken. Compared to the CT group, VIRG treatment group differed 217 metabolites and 10 KEGG pathways in cecal contents and 142 metabolites and 7 KEGG pathways in serum of chickens. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that phyla Bacteroidetes and genus of Bacteroides, Alistipes, and unclassified Rikenellaceae (in the VIRG and PE group) were positively correlated with many lipid metabolites. However, phyla Firmicutes and genera Lactobacillus (higher in the CT group) were negatively correlated with the lipid and thymine metabolism, and positively correlated with hydroxyisocaproic acid, cytosine, and taurine. This study shows that dietary supplementation with PEO and VIRG altered the composition and metabolism profile of the cecal microbiota, modified the serum metabolism profile.

Metabolomic profiling of metoprolol-induced cardioprotection in a murine model of acute myocardial ischemia

Metoprolol (Met) is widely applied in the treatment of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease in clinic. However, the metabolic network in vivo affected by Met manipulation is still unclear and it's therapeutic molecular mechanisms were remained to be furthered elucidated except β1 adrenergic receptor. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by permanent CAL for 24 h in ICR mice. Myocardial infarct size, biochemical indicators such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive Protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and cardiac troponin I(cTn-I), cardiac function and myocardial pathological changes were detected to ensure the improvement of Met on MI. Subsequently, the significantly changed endogenous metabolites and the network in both serum and urine were screened and constructed through metabolomics by using HPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Finally, the potential regulatory enzymes that could be the possible new therapeutic targets of Met were selected and validated by western blotting and immunohistochemistry based on the screened differential metabolites and the enrichment analysis. Met effectively reduced the infarct size of myocardial infarction mice, improved the biochemical indicators, and ameliorated the cardiac function and pathological conditions. Our study further found that Met could regulate the pathways of glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, purine and pyrimidine metabolism under the pathological conditions of MI. Moreover, several regulatory enzymes involved GATM, CSE and NT5E were demonstrated to be regulated by Met. This study constructed the regulatory metabolic network map of Met, elucidated the endogenous metabolic pathway regulated by Met, and validated the new potential therapeutic targets of Met in MI, which might provide a further reference for the clinical application of Met.