Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies of paeoniflorin and albiflorin in rats after oral administration of total glycosides of paeony by HPLC-MS/MS

A simple, sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS）method combined with solid phase extraction has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of paeoniflorinand albiflorin in rats plasma and tissue homogenate after administration of total glycosides of paeony （TGP）. Chromatographicseparation was achieved on a C15 column （150 mmx4.6 mm, 5 pro） with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.05% formicacid aqueous （20： 80, v/v） at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The analytes were detected with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer usingturbo ion spray with negative ionization in the multiple reaction-monitoring （MRM） modes. The results of method validationconformed to the requirements for the determination of biological samples. This method was successfully applied to thepharmacokinetics and tissue distribution study of TGP in rats. The results showed that paeonifiorin and albiflorin wereabsorbed and reached peak value quickly, and had the similar pharmacokinetic characteristics. Both of them underwent a rapid andwide distribution in the tissues throughout the whole body, among which stomach was the main distribution tissue. Moreover, theyhad the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Protective mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba against chemical liver injury based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and in vitro experiments

Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:Network pharmacology was used to identify the common potential targets of P.Radix and chemical liver injury.Molecular docking was used to fit the components,which were subsequently verified in vitro.A cell model of hepatic fibrosis was established by activating hepatic stellate cell(HSC)-LX2 cells with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1.The cells were exposed to different concentrations of total glucosides of paeony(TGP),the active substance of P.Radix,and then evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot.Results:Analysis through network pharmacology revealed 13 key compounds of P.Radix,and the potential targets for preventing chemical liver injury were IL-6,AKT serine/threonine kinase 1,jun protooncogene,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG),PTGS2,and CASP3.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of response to drugs,membrane rafts,and peptide binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis revealed that the main pathways involved lipid and atherosclerosis and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation.Paeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited strong affinity for HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,and CASP3.Different concentrations of TGP can inhibit the expression of COL-I,COL-III,IL-6,TNF-a,IL-1β,HSP-90a,and PTGS2 while increasing the expression of PPAR-γand CASP3 in activated HSC-LX2 cells.Conclusion:P.Radix primarily can regulate targets such as HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,CASP3.TGP,the main active compound of P.Radix,protects against chemical liver injury by reducing the inflammatory response,activating apoptotic proteins,and promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs.