The Prospect of Application of Extractive Reference Substance of Chinese Herbal Medicines

The emerging development of Extractive Reference Substance (ERS) is a methodology that meets the needs for quality control for Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) and respects the holistic viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its clinical use of multiple ingredients with synergistic effects. The convention of using just a selected few Chemical Reference Substances (CRS) cannot adequately assess the quality of intact CHM. A validated chemical spectrum of an ERS provides the global characteristics in order to more specifically identify and assess targeted CHM. This paper describes the fundamental concepts, potential significance, and basic criteria of ERS, along with methods of preparation and calibration. Given the diversity of CHM, the various problems that will occur in establishing the proper process of ERS will need to be solved in a step by step manner. The ERSs of Ziziphi spinosae semen and ERS of Fritillaria thunbergii bulbus are given as examples of the development of ERS and demonstrate why we are optimistic about the utility of this approach.

Urinary metabolic profiles during Helicobacter pylori eradication in chronic gastritis

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis,affecting approximately half of the global population.H.pylori eradication is a popular treatment method for H.pylori-positive chronic gastritis,but its mecha-nism remains unclear.Urinary metabolomics has been used to elucidate the mechanisms of gastric disease treatment.However,no clinical study has been conducted on urinary metabolomics of chronic gastritis.AIM To elucidate the urinary metabolic profiles during H.pylori eradication in patients with chronic gastritis.METHODS We applied LC–MS-based metabolomics and network pharmacology to in-vestigate the relationships between urinary metabolites and H.pylori-positive chronic gastritis via a clinical follow-up study.RESULTS Our study revealed the different urinary metabolic profiles of H.pylori-positive chronic gastritis before and after H.pylori eradication.The metabolites regulated by H.pylori eradication therapy include cis-aconitic acid,isocitric acid,citric acid,L-tyrosine,L-phenylalanine,L-tryptophan,and hippuric acid,which were involved in four metabolic pathways:(1)Phenylalanine metabolism;(2)phenylalanine,tyrosine,and tryptophan biosynthesis;(3)citrate cycle;and(4)glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism.Integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology revealed that MPO,COMT,TPO,TH,EPX,CMA1,DDC,TPH1,and LPO were the key proteins involved in the biological progress of H.pylori eradication in chronic gastritis.CONCLUSION Our research provides a new perspective for exploring the significance of urinary metabolites in evaluating the treatment and prognosis of H.pylori-positive chronic gastritis patients.

A comparative study of the anti-fatigue activity of extracts from different parts of Cistanche tubulosa(Schenk)Wight Author links open overlay panel

Objective To evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of different extracts from Cistanche tubulosa(Schenk)Wight(C.tubulosa,Rou Cong Rong),focusing on central and exercise-induced fatigue in mice.This study investigated the pharmacological effects of the total oligosaccharides,polysaccharides,and phenylethanoid glycosides(CPhGs)extracted from C.tubulosa.Methods Models of sleep deprivation and forced swimming fatigue were established to simulate central and exercise-induced fatigue.The mice were treated with different extracts of C.tubulosa,and their effects were assessed using behavioral tests to measure exercise capacity,learning,and memory function.Biochemical analyses were performed to evaluate the changes in serum and brain neurotransmitter levels,liver and muscle glycogen storage,and various fatigue-related biomarkers.Results This study found that treatment with C.tubulosa extract improved exercise capacity,learning,and memory in mice.Total oligosaccharides from C.tubulosa enhanced adrenocorticotropic hormone,cholinesterase,and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels,reduced cortisol levels in central fatigue models,and ameliorated biochemical markers of exercise-induced fatigue,including lowering lactic acid,blood urea nitrogen,and malondialdehyde levels.Among the tested extracts,the total oligosaccharides showed the most comprehensive anti-fatigue effects.Conclusion The anti-fatigue effects of C.tubulosa,particularly those of its total oligosaccharides,are pronounced in both central and exercise-induced fatigue.These effects are mediated by the regulation of neurotransmitter levels,enhancement of glycogen storage,and improvement of antioxidant enzyme activity,suggesting potential therapeutic benefits in fatigue-related conditions.

A network pharmacology approach to decipher the mechanisms of anti-depression of Xiaoyaosan formula

OBJECTIVE Depression is one of the prevalent and prominent complex psychiatric diseases and the number of depressed patients has been on the rise globally during the recent decades.Xiaoyaosan,as a famous Chinese herbal formula,has been widely used in depression patients for a long time. However,the therapeutic mechanisms remain uncertain because of difficulty of depression pathophysiology and the lack of bioinformatic approach to understand the molecular connection. METHODS In this thesis,we applied a network pharmacology approach to explain the potential mechanisms between Xiaoyaosan and depression involved in oral bioavailability screening,drug-likeness assessment,caco-2 permeability,blood-brain barrier target recognition and network analysis. RESULTS 66 active compounds in Xiaoyaosan formula with favorable pharmacokinetic profiles are predicted as active compounds for anti-depression treatment. Network analyses show that these 66 compounds target 40depression-associated proteins including especially HTR2A,NR 3C1,MAOB,XDH and CNR2. These proteins are mainly involved in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,serotonergic synapse,cAMP signaling pathways and calcium signaling pathways. CONCLUSION The integrated network pharmacology method is an effective approach to illustrate the anti-depression mechanisms of herbs,and this in silico approach can be applied in drug discovery.

Radix Paeoniae Alba attenuates Radix Bupleuri-induced hepatotoxicity by modulating gut microbiota to alleviate the inhibition of saikosaponins on glutathione synthetase

Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after longterm use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an herb pair.However,whether RPA can alleviate RB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unclear.In this work,the results confirmed that RB had a dose-dependent antidepressant effect,but the optimal antidepressant dose caused hepatotoxicity.Notably,RPA effectively reversed RB-induced hepatotoxicity.Afterward,the mechanism of RB-induced hepatotoxicity was confirmed.The results showed that saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D could inhibit GSH synthase(GSS)activity in the liver,and further cause liver injury through oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-kB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Furthermore,the mechanisms by which RPA attenuates RBinduced hepatotoxicity were investigated.The results demonstrated that RPA increased the abundance of intestinal bacteria with glycosidase activity,thereby promoting the conversion of saikosaponins to saikogenins in vivo.Different from saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D,which are directly combined with GSS as an inhibitor,their deglycosylation conversion products saikogenin F and saikogenin G exhibited no GSS binding activity.Based on this,RPA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of saikosaponins on GSS activity to reshape the liver redox balance and further reverse the RB-induced liver inflammatory response by the NFkB/NLRP3 pathway.In conclusion,the present study suggests that promoting the conversion of saikosaponins by modulating gut microbiota to attenuate the inhibition of GSS is the potential mechanism by which RPA prevents RB-induced hepatotoxicity.

PnMYB4 negatively modulates saponin biosynthesis in Panax notoginseng through interplay with PnMYB1

Saponins are the main triterpenoid ingredients from Panax notoginseng,a well-known Chinese medicine,and are important sources for producing drugs to prevent and treat cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.However,the transcriptional regulatory network of saponin biosynthesis in P.notoginseng is largely unknown.In the present study we demonstrated that one R2R3-MYB transcription factor,designated PnMYB4,acts as a repressor of saponin accumulation.Suppression of PnMYB4 in P.notoginseng calli significantly increased the saponin content and the expression level of saponin biosynthetic genes.PnMYB4 directly bound to the promoters of key saponin biosynthetic genes,including PnSS,PnSE,and PnDS,to repress saponin accumulation.PnMYB4 and the activator PnMYB1 could inter-acted with PnbHLH,which is a positive regulator of saponin biosynthesis,to modulate the biosynthesis of saponin.PnMYB4 competed with PnMYB1 for binding to PnbHLH,repressing activation of the promoters of saponin structural genes induced by the PnMYB1-PnbHLH complex.Our study reveals that a complex regulatory module of saponin biosynthesis is associated with positive and negative MYB transcriptional regulators and provides a theoretical basis for improving the content of saponins and efficacy of P.notoginseng.

Metabolomics coupled with similarity analysis advances the elucidation of the cold/hot properties of traditional Chinese medicines

It recently becomes an important and urgent mission for modern scientific research to identify and explain the theory of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), which has been utilized in China for more than four millennia. Since few works have been contributed to understanding the TCM theory, the mechanism of actions of drugs with cold/hot properties remains unclear. In the present study, six kinds of typical herbs with cold or hot properties were orally administered into mice, and serum and liver samples were analyzed using an untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) based metabolomics approach coupled with similarity analysis. This approach was performed to identify and quantify changes in metabolic pathways to elucidate drug actions on the treated mice. Our results showed that those drugs with same property exerted similar effects on the metabolic alterations in mouse serum and liver samples, while drugs with different property showed different effects. The effects of herbal medicines with cold/hot properties were exerted by regulating the pathways linked to glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acids metabolism and other metabolic pathways. The results elucidated the differences and similarities of drugs with cold/hot properties, providing useful information on the explanation of medicinal properties of these TCMs.

Rapid Simultaneous Determination of Four Ganoderic Acids in Ganoderma(Chinese Name:Lingzhi)by Direct Infusion-Multiple Reaction Monitoring Cubed

Attributing to the rapid demand expansion for the edible medicinal materials in the market,the limited throughput of highperformance liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring(HPLC-MRM)cannot fully address the measurement workload for a huge number of testing samples.Hence,it is urgent to pursue more efficient approaches for the quality evaluation.Because of the greater selectivity of MRM cubed(MRM^(3))over MRM,there might be a chance to omit the time-intensive LC separation.In current study,we attempted to develop a direct infusion(DI)-MRM^(3) program,and the applicability was thereafter assessed through simultaneous determination of four ganoderic acids(GAs)in one of the most famous tonic herbal medicines namely Ganoderma(Chinese name:Lingzhi).Primary parameters such as Q1>Q3>QLIT ion transitions,collision energy(CE),and excitation energy were optimized by programming online energy-resolved mass spectrometry with authentic compounds.A single DI-MRM measurement merely costed four minutes,and in spite of the wide occurrences of isomers,satisfactory selectivity was achieved.Method validation assays demonstrated the method to be sensitive,precise,accurate,and reproducible.The quantitative results from DI-MRM^(3) were also justified by conducting LC-MRM measurements in parallel.Significant differences occurred for the content patterns between the two original sources namely Ganoderma lucidum and G.sinense,and,moreover,either cultivar or harvest time showed dramatical influence on the quantitative features of the four targeted GAs.More importantly,DI-MRM3 is a meaningful analytical option for rapid quantitative analysis of herbal medicines,because of the comparable reliability,nonetheless,less consumptions of both measurement time and solvent,compared with LC-MRM.

Integrating UHPLC-MS/MS quantitative analysis and exogenous purine supplementation to elucidate the antidepressant mechanism of Chaigui granules by regulating purine metabolism

Chaigui granules(CG)are a compound composed of six herbal medicines with significant antidepressant effects.However,the antidepressant mechanism of CG remains unclear.In the present study,we attempted to elucidate the antidepressant mechanism of CG by regulating purine metabolism and purinergic signaling.First,the regulatory effect of CG on purine metabolites in the prefrontal cortex(PFC)of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)rats was analyzed by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)targeted quantitative analysis.Meanwhile,purinergic receptors(P2X7 receptor(P2X7R),A1 receptor(A1R)and A2A receptor(A2AR))and signaling pathways(nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome pathway and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)-protein kinase A(PKA)pathway)associated with purine metabolism were analyzed by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Besides,antidepressant mechanism of CG by modulating purine metabolites to activate purinergic receptors and related signaling pathways was dissected by exogenous supplementation of purine metabolites and antagonism of purinergic receptors in vitro.An in vivo study showed that the decrease in xanthine and the increase in four purine nucleosides were closely related to the antidepressant effects of CG.Additionally,purinergic receptors(P2X7R,A1R and A2AR)and related signaling pathways(NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and cAMP-PKA pathway)were also significantly regulated by CG.The results of exogenous supplementation of purine metabolites and antagonism of purinergic receptors showed that excessive accumulation of xanthine led to activation of the P2X7R-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway,and the reduction of adenosine and inosine inhibited the A1R-cAMP-PKA pathway,which was significantly ameliorated by CG.Overall,CG could promote neuroprotection and ultimately play an antidepressant role by inhibiting the xanthine-P2X7R-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and activating the adenosine/inosine-A1R-cAMP-PKA pathway.

Research on the Orientated Effective Components of Huangqi in Huangqi Jianzhong Tang Against Chronic Atrophic Gastritis Based on Multi-Spectrum–Effect Correlation

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the orientated effective components of Astragali Radix Huangqi(HQ) in HQ Jianzhong Tang(HQJZ), a classical formula of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) used for treating chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG), using HQ as a monarch medicine. Materials and Methods: The spectra of HQJZ containing different polar parts of HQ were obtained using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the efficacy of HQJZ, which contains different polar parts of HQ, in treating rats with CAG was evaluated using traditional pharmacodynamic and nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomics. Grey relation analysis and partial least squares analysis were applied to analyze the spectrum–effect relationship and to screen out the orientated effective components related to HQ in the treatment of CAG. Results: Spectrum–effect relationship analysis showed that 24 compounds identified from the fingerprint spectrum were strongly correlated with efficacy. Compounds 8(calycosin-7-O-glc-6”-O-acetate), 9(3-hydroxy-9, 10-dimethoxyptercarpan), and 22(astragaloside II) were ranked among the top three. Conclusions: This study showed that integrating metabolomics and spectrum–effect relationship analysis is a powerful tool for obtaining orientated effective components of Chinese medicine in a given TCM formula.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of six major compounds in normal and insomnia rats after oral administration of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen aqueous extract

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(ZSS),a traditional Chinese medicine,is used in clinics for the treatment of insomnia in China and other Asian countries.Herein,we described for the first time a comparative pharmacokinetics study of the six major compounds of ZSS in normal control(NC)and para-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA)-induced insomnia model(IM)rats that were orally administered the aqueous extract of ZSS.An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS)method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of coclaurine,magnoflorine,spinosin,6000-feruloylspinosin,jujuboside A(JuA),and jujuboside B(JuB)in ZSS in rat plasma.The established approach was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study.The systemic exposures of spinosin and 6000-feruloylspinosin were decreased in the IM group compared to the NC group,while plasma clearance(CL)was significantly increased.The Tmax values of JuA and JuB in IM rats were significantly lower than those in NC rats.The T1/2 of JuA in the IM group was significantly accelerated.The pharmacokinetic parameters of coclaurine and magnoflorine were not evidently affected between the two groups.These results indicate that the pathological state of insomnia altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of spinosin,6000-feruloylspinosin,JuA,and JuB in the ZSS aqueous extract,providing an experimental basis for the role of ZSS in insomnia treatment.The comparative pharmacokinetics-based UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS using full-scan mode can therefore provide a reliable and suitable means for the screening of potentially effective substances applied as quality markers of ZSS.

Effects of Echinacoside on Histio-central Levels of Active Mass in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Rats

Objective To investigate the effects of echinacoside on the extracellular striatal levels of norepinephrine（NE）,dopamine（DA）,homovanillic acid（HVA）,3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanoid acid（DOPAC）,5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid（HIAA）,and 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT） in middle cerebral artery occlusion（MCAO rats.Methods The middle cerebral artery was occluded in male Sprague-Dawley rats.Three days later microdialysis probes were placed into the right striatum of MCAO rat brains and the brains were perfused with Ringer＇s solution at a rate of 1.5 μL/min.Cerebral microdialysates were collected every 30 minutes from awake and freely moving rats before assaying for NE,DA,HVA,DOPAC,HIAA,and 5-HT levels by reverse phase HPLC with electrochemistry.Results Three days after MCAO,the extracellular striatal levels of NE,DA,DOPAC,HIAA,HVA,and 5-HT of the MCAO rats increased significantly（at least P0.05 vs.control）.However,simultaneous treatment with echinacoside（30.0 or 15.0 mg/kg） attenuated these increases（at least P0.05 vs.non-treated model rats）.Conclusion These results imply that echinacoside may protect striatal dopa minergic neurons from the injury induced by MCAO and may help prevent and treat cerebral ischemic diseases.

Mechanisms of Chinese medical formula Fangji Huangqi Decoction as an effective treatment of nephrotic syndrome based on systems pharmacology

Objective: With the development of the society, the number of people who catch the nephrotic syndrome(NS) is going up roughly. As we all know, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), especially Fangji Huangqi Decoction(FHD), has a long history with good curative effects on NS. However, the mechanism of FHD treating NS has not been clearly elucidated.Methods: In this study, TCMSP platform was employed to screen active compounds of each herb of Fangji Huangqi Decoction combined with literatures. Furthermore, PharmMapper and SEA were used to predict and screen the active targets of FHD, and the HOME-NCBI-GENE, GeneCards and OMIM database were used to screen the active targets of NS. The GO and KEGG pathways involved in the targets were analyzed by Clue GO. Finally, contribution index was used to screen the active ingredients of FHD in the treatment of NS.Results: After drug-likeness(DL) and bioavailability(OB) filtering, 43 compounds were selected from FHD,interacting with 85 NS-related targets. Systematic analysis of the constructed networks revealed that it was mainly involved in PI3 K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. The contribution index of every active ingredient also indicated five compounds, including astragaloside IV, quercetin, glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhizin and fangchinoline.Conclusions: These results have successfully predicted the pharmacodynamic material basis and the mechanism efficiency of FHD in the treatment of NS.

Characterization of multiple chemical components of GuiLingJi by UHPLC-MS and ^(1)H NMR analysis

GuiLingJi(GLJ),a classic traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formula,is composed of over 20 herbs,according to the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China.Owing to its various activities,GLJ has been used in clinical settings for more than 400 years in China.However,the ambiguous chemical material basis limits the development of studies on the quality control and pharmacological mechanisms of GLJ.Therefore,comprehensive characterization of the multiple chemical components of GLJ is of great significance for the modernization of this formula.Given the great variety of herbs in GLJ,both UHPLCMS and ^(1)H NMR techniques were employed in this study.In addition,solvent extraction with different polarities was used to eliminate signal interference and the concentration of trace components.A variety of MS analytic methods were also used,including implementation of a self-built compound database,diagnostic ion filtering,mass defect filtering,and Compound Discoverer 3.0 analysis software.Based on the above strategies,a total of 150 compounds were identified,including 5 amino acids,13 phenolic acids and glycosides,11 coumarins,72 flavones,20 triterpenoid and triterpenoid saponins,23 fatty acids,and 6 other compounds.Moreover,13 compounds were identified by ^(1)H NMR spectroscopy.The UHPLC-MS and ^(1)H NMR results supported and complemented each other.This strategy provides a rapid approach to analyzing and identifying the chemical composition of Chinese herbal prescriptions.The current study provides basis for further research on the quality control and pharmacological mechanism of GLJ.

Neuroprotective effect of isoliquriitin on corticosterone-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells

OBJECTIVE Isoliquiritin,a flavonoid glycosides compound,possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including antioxidant,antiinflammatory. However,rare studies in the field of isoliquiritin antidepressant-like effects have been carried out,the molecular mechanism also remains unclear. In this study,the model of corticosterone-damaged rat adrenal pheochromocytoma(PC12)cells has been used to generate an in vitro experimental model of depression. The aim was to investigate thecytoprotective efficiency and potential mechanisms of isoliquiritin in corticosterone-damaged PC12 cells. METHODS The cells were treated with 400 μmol·L^(-1)corticosterone in the absence or presence of isoliquiritin for 24 h; cells viability and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) leakage were then determined,Hoechst 33342/PI and Annexin V/PI double staining were performed to evaluate the cytoprotective efficiency of isoliquiritin. Next,intracellular calcium([Ca^(2+)]_i),mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),reactive oxygen species(ROS),malondialdehyde(MDA),the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT),and Western blotting analysed for the expression of Bcl,Bax,caspase-3 and cytochrome C(Cyt-C) were investigated to explore the potential mechanisms. RESULTS The results of the present study showed that pretreatment of PC12 cells with isoliquiritinsignificantly prevented the corticosterone-induced cell apoptosis. In addition,isoliquiritin increased the activity of SOD and CAT,decreased the contents of ROS and MDA. These findings suggest that isoliquiritin provided a protective action against corticosterone-induced celldamage by reducing oxidative stress. Furthermore pretreatmented with isoliquiritin reduced corticosterone-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by preventing mitochondrial membrane potentials dissipation.Our findings indicated that isoliquiritin might exert its therapeutic effects viaregulating mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover isoliquiritin strongly attenuated [Ca^(2+)]_i overload and down-regulation of Bax,caspase-3 and Cyt-C protein expression,up-regulation of Bcl protein expression. CONCLUSION Isoliquiritin has acytoprotective effect on corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells,which may be related to its antioxidant action,inhibition of [Ca^(2+)]_ioverload and inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Characteristics and roles of cytochrome b5 in cytochrome P450-mediated oxidative reactions in Locusta migratoria

Cytochrome b5(Cyt-b5)is a small heme protein and known to be involved in a wide range of biochemical transformations,in eluding cytochrome P450 monooxyge nase(CYP)-mediated metabolism of endoge nous and exogenous compo un ds.Studies on Cyt-b5 are more con centrated in mammals,but are relatively rare in in sects.The characteristics and functi on of Cyt-b5 from Locusta migratoria have not been described yet.We sequeneed the full-length cDNA sequenee of Cyt-b5 from L.migratoria(LmCyt-b5)by reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR)based on locust transcriptome database.The phylogenetic analysis showed that LmCyt-b5 was closely related to the Cyt-b5 from Blattodea.LmCyt-b5 was highly expressed in ovary,Malpighian tubules,midgut,gastric caeca,and fat bodies.Silencing of LmCyt-b5 had no effect on the susceptibility of L.migratoria to four different insecticides.Suppression of LmCyt-b5 or silencing of both LmCyt-b5 and LmCPR did not significantly change the total CYP activity toward the substrate 7-ethoxycoumarin(7-EC).However,coexpression of LmCYP6FD1 with LmCPR and LmCyt-b5 together in Sf9 cells by using Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system significantly increased the catalytic activity of LmCYP6FD1 toward 7-EC as compared with the coexpression of L.mCYP6FD1 with cytochrome P450 reductase(LmCPR)or LmCyt-b5 separately.These results suggest that LmCyt-b5 plays an important role in the catalytic reaction of LmCYP6FD1 toward 7-EC in our in vitro experiments.Further study is needed to clarify the role of LmCyt-b5 in CYP-mediated catalytic reactions in L.migratoria.

Baoyuan decoction alleviates myocardial infarction through the regulation of metabolic dysfunction and the mitochondria-dependent caspase-9/3 pathway

Objective:Baoyuan decoction(BYD)is a traditional Chinese formula with myocardial protection efficacy validated by modern pharmacological tests.The present study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of BYD on alleviating myocardial infarction(MI).Methods:Nuclear magnetic resonance-based serum and urinary metabolomics were employed to explore the metabolic regulation effects of BYD in rats with MI induced by left anterior descending ligation.Oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery(OGD/R)model in H9c2 cells and multiple molecular biology approaches were used to clarify the underlying action mechanisms of BYD.Results:BYD treatment recovered the serum and urinary metabolite profiles of the MI rats toward normal metabolic status and significantly improved mitochondrial energy metabolism and apoptosis pathways perturbed by MI.Analysis of the molecular mechanism of BYD indicated that it suppressed OGD/R-induced H9c2 cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner by inhibiting the mitochondria-dependent caspase-9/3-poly ADP-ribose polymerase pathway.Conclusions:Our results demonstrate that BYD protects against myocardial apoptosis via the mitochondrial metabolic and apoptosis pathways.They also provide novel insights into the clinical application of BYD for the treatment of ischemic heart diseases.

Behavior and metabolomics study of the anti-aging effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extract on D-galactose-induced rats

OBJECTIVE Behavior research and urinary metabolomics method were applied to evaluate the anti-aging effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extract(SBG)in D-galactose-induced rats.METHODS Fifty rats were randomly divided into five groups(n=10in each group).Group 1served as vehicle control with injection of saline(vehicle control group),and the other groups of rats received daily subcutaneously injected with D-galactose(aged model group)at dose of 100mg·kg-1 for ten weeks,respectively.At the same time,rats in groups 3-5were intragastrically administered SBG 〔extracted twice with 60%(V/V)ethanol〕at doses of 50,100 and 200mg·kg-1 for ten weeks,and the rats of groups 1 and 2 were administrated an equal volume of the vehicle.At the tenth week,the learning and memory abilities were examined by Morris water maze.The urine was collected using metabolic cages and analyzed by high-resolution 1HNMR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analyses.Principal component analysis(PCA)was utilized to classify and reveal the differences between the model group and control group.Then,the concentration of these differences was analyzed with t-test to determine whether SBG was possible to influence the metabolic pattern induced by D-galactose.RESULTS Compared with the vehicle control group,the D-galactose-treated aged model group markedly spent longer time(P<0.05)in finding the platform on days 3-5 in the spatial learning acquisition training of Morris water maze test.However,the escape latency was significantly reduced(P<0.05)by long-term administration of SBG(50,100 and 200mg·kg-1)compared with the D-galactose-treated aged model group on days 3-5.In the probe test,the D-galactose-treated aged model group made fewer(P<0.05)platform crossings and distance travelled in target quadrant(P<0.05)than the vehicle control group,and the SBG at doses of 50,100 and 200mg·kg-1 treatments groups could significantly increase(P<0.05)the number of times of crossing over the platform site.The SBG at doses of100 and 200mg·kg-1 treatments groups could significantly increase(P<0.05)the distance travelled in target quadrant compared with the D-galactose-treated aged model group.In addition,the significant difference in metabolic profiling was observed from model group compared with drug-dose group by using PCA,indicating the recovery effect of SBG on D-galactose induced aging rats.Some significantly changed metabolites like glycine,glucose and hexadecanoic acid have been identified.These biochemical changes are related to the the disturbance in aimno acid metabolism,energy metabolism and glycometabolism,which are helpful to further understanding the D-galactose induced aging rats and the therapeutic mechanism of SBG.CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that SBG extract has protective effect on the D-galactose-induced aging in rats.

Pathogenesis of chronic social defeat stress model induced depressive-like mouse model according to LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics

OBJECTIVE To explore the pathogenesis of depression according to the LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics in the mouse model which exhibits social avoidance state induced by the chronic social defeat stress model(CSDS).METHODS Twenty male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into control group and model group suffering CSDS,and the ICR retired breeder mice were used to attack the model group for 14 d of chronic social defeated stress.The open field test and source preference test were both used to observe depression-like behavior.Besides,the social interaction test is used to observe the social interaction state,especially.After the stress,the serum samples of mice were collected,and the changes of endogenous metabolites were analyzed by LC-MS metabolomics technology,and the pathway analysis of the differential metabolites was performed to explore the pathogenesis of the CSDS induced depressive-like mouse model.RESULTS After the stress of CSDS was completed,the mice in the model group showed a significant slowdown in body weight growth,a reduction in the source preference rate,and a significant reduction in the total distance and the number of rearing in the open field test.Distinctively,the social interaction rate is remarkably decreasing.There are 24 differential metabolites found in the serum of CSDS model mice.CONCLUSION The mouse who suffered CSDS stress would show depressive-like behavior.Based on the LC-MS/MS metabolomics,24 differential metabolites were found in the serum of CSDS model mice.The amino acid metabolism might be significant to the pathogenesis of the CSDS induced depressive-like mouse model.

Increased life-span of Drosophila melanogaster by Flavonoids from Scutellariabaicalensis Georgi induced by hydrogen peroxide

Objective： To explore the effects and mechanisms of flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in hydrogenperoxide （H2O2） induced Drosophila melanogaster model. Method： H2O2 induced Drosophila melanogaster agingmodel was used to study the effects of flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Secondly, the effects ofbaicalein and wogonin on mRNA expressions were examined. Results： Our results found that baicalein andwogonin could extend the life-spans of H2O2 induced Drosophila melanogaster aging model via increased mRNAexpressions of superoxide dismutase catalase and rosy. Conclusion： Baicalein and wogonin could extend life-spansof H2O2 induced Drosophila melanogaster aging model through increasing mRNA expressions of superoxidedismutase, catalase and rosy.