Antipyretic Effect of Herba Ephedrae-Ramulus Cinnamomi Herb Pair on Yeast-Induced Pyrexia Rats: A Metabolomics Study

Objective： To investigate the antipyretic mechanism of Herba Ephedrae （Eph）-Ramulus Cinnamomi （RC） herb pair on yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. Methods： Totally 30 qualified male SD rats were randomly assigned to the normal control （NC） group, the pyrexia model （model） group, the Eph, RC and Eph-RC treatment groups by a random digital table, 6 rats in each group. Each rat received a 20% aqueous suspension of yeast （10 mL/kg） except the NC group. The 3 treatment groups were administered 8.1, 5.4 and 13.5 g/kg Eph, RC and Eph-RC respectively at 5 and 12 h after yeast injection, the NC group and the model groups were administered equal volume of distilled water. Rectal temperatures were measured at 0, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 h and urine was collected prior to yeast injection and at 6, 10, 18, 24, 30, and 36 h after yeast injection. Then urine metabolomic profiling by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, coupled with multivariate statistical analysis and pattern recognition techniques were used to explore the antipyretic effects of Eph-RC. Partial least squares discriminate analysis was used to analyze the metabolomics dataset including classification and regression in metabolomics plot profiling. Results： Compared with the NC group, rectal temperatures were significantly higher in the model group （P〈0.01）, while 3 treatment groups decreased significantly compared with the model group （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Rectal temperatures of Eph-RC-treated rats started to go down at 6 h, and markedly decreased at 8, 12, 15, 18 and 24 h （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）, while those of the Eph and RC groups had decreased firstly at 8 h and were markedly lower at 12 h （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Seventeen potential biomarkers related to pyrexia were confirmed and identified, including pyruvic acid, L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, phenylacetic acid, hippuric acid, succinic acid, citrate and so on. Eight potential alterations of metabolic pathways including phenylalanine metabolism, citrate cycle, tryptophan metabolism, biosynthesis of valine, leucine and isoleucine, were identified in relation to the antipyretic effects of Eph-RC using MetPA software. Conclusion： The antipyretic effect of Eph-RC herb pair on yeast-induced pyrexia in rats involved correction of perturbed amino acid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate metabolism according to the metabolic pathway analysis with MetPA.

Study on the mechanism of action of Ephedra Herba Decoction against influenza A virus based on network pharmacology

Objective To predict the main bioactive components and potential mechanisms of Ephedra Herba Decoction(Chinese Pinyin abbreviated as MHT)in treating influenza A virus(IAV)based on network pharmacology.Methods Multiple online databases were used to search and screen out the active components from MHT,the related targets of active components of MHT and the genes related to IAV.Search the corresponding genes name of target through UniProt database.Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct the drug-component-target network diagram.Venn diagram was used to screen the intersection genes of the active components corresponding to the target and disease-related genes,and the intersection genes were imported into the STRING Database Online platform to obtain the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network.Then,the PPI network was imported into Cytoscape 3.7.2 to obtain the core targets.Finally,Wei Sheng Xing(http://www.bioinformatics.com.cn/)was used to do GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis for the intersection genes,and the results of GO and KEGG were visualized.Results A total of 116 active components and 253 potential targets were screened from MHT.Quercetin,Kaempferol,and Luteolin are the main active components,and AKT1,TNF,TP53,IL6,and JUN are the core targets of 253 potential targets.There are 2906 targets of influenza A,including 121 intersection genes.Enrichment analysis showed that there were 131 entries of molecular function,89 entries of cell component,1645 entries of biological process and 195 entries of signaling pathway.PI3K-Akt,MAPK,and JAK-STAT were the main signaling pathways.Conclusion MHT plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of influenza A by acting on multiple targets and multiple signaling pathways.

Extraction process in Chuantieling(CTL) based on the quality by design(QbD) concept

Objective This study aimed to design and optimize the water extraction process for Chuantieling(喘贴灵,CTL)based on the concept of quality by design(QbD).Methods The single-factor experiments were used to select the best experimental points of CTL water extraction.On this basis,the transfer rate of ephedrine hydrochloride and sin-apine thiocyanate,and the yield of the extract were evaluated as the evaluation indicators.The liquid-solid ratio,extraction time,and pH value were selected as the main factors to carry out the Box-Behnken design(BBD).A mathematical model of the critical process parameters(CPPs)and critical quality attributes(CQAs)was established,the interaction between CQAs and CPPs was examined,and the CTL extraction process design space was established and optimized,which guaranteed the stability of the process.The high performance liquid chro-matography(HPLC)was used to analyze the main active compounds in the CTL extract.Results Through single-factor experiments,the best experimental parameters were found to be a liquid-solid ratio of 8∶1,extraction time of 90 min,pH value of 4,and extraction times of three.The experimental variance analysis results of the BBD showed that the P value of the re-gression model was less than 0.05,and the lack-of-fit value was greater than 0.01,indicating that the constructed model had good predictive ability.The operating space of the CPPs of the CTL water extraction process was combined with the actual production situation.In the pro-duction situation,the best extraction process was nine times of water addition,72 min of ex-traction time,and 4.5 of pH value.The HPLC results showed that the peak areas of ephedrine hydrochloride,sinapine thiocyanate,tetrahydropalmatine,methyl eugenol,cinnamaldehyde,and 6-gingerol in the CTL extract accounted for 0.94%,14.32%,0.78%,31.23%,0.34%,and 0.44%of the total peak area,respectively.Conclusion The water extraction process design space of CTL based on QbD was conducive to actual production operations,ensuring the stability of the process.

Studying the nature of ascending-descending-floating-sinking of Chinese medicines based on gonadotropin-releasing hormone

OBJECTIVE:To explore the nature of ascendingdescending-floating-sinking of Traditional Chinese Medicine on normal rats using gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRh).METHODS:Normal male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered six floating Chinese medicines and seven sinking Chinese medicines for 14 d.Then,GnRh and relevant indicators were detected.Initially,the different effects of floating and sinking drugs on the body were explored.To verify the effects of floating and sinking drugs on the body,normal rats were orally administered Mahuang(Herba Ephedra Sinica)and Tinglizi(Semen Lepidii Apetali)for 14 d.Then,GnRh antagonists were administered.We observed the changes of relevant indicators and clarified the correlation between GnRh and the laws of floating and sinking.RESULTS:Floating Chinese medicines significantly increased the testicular coefficients;GnRh level in the serum;the protein level of GnRh receptor(GnRhR)in the testis;and the mRNA levels of androgen receptor(AR),small C-terminal domain phosphatase(SCP)3,SCP2,SYCE1,SMC1 B,SMC3,and Rec8(P<0.01 or<0.05).Sinking Chinese medicines did not react similarly,while GnRh antagonists blocked the regulatory effect of Mahuang(Herba Ephedra Sinica)but did not affect Tinglizi(Semen Lepidii Apetali).CONCLUSIONS:GnRh may be closely related to the nature of ascending-descending-floating-sinking of Chinese medicine.Floating Chinese medicines may promote their medicinal properties by regulating Gn RH level;however,sinking Chinese medicines did not affect GnRh level.