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Hu P, Yuan M, Guo B, Lin J, Yan S, Huang H, Chen JL, Wang S, Ma Y. Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1239. [PMID: 38279237 PMCID: PMC10817003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Amidst increasing concern about antibiotic resistance resulting from the overuse of antibiotics, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative agents. One such agent is citric acid, an organic compound commonly used for various applications. Our research findings indicate that the inclusion of citric acid can have several beneficial effects on the tight junctions found in the mouse intestine. Firstly, the study suggests that citric acid may contribute to weight gain by stimulating the growth of intestinal epithelial cells (IE-6). Citric acid enhances the small intestinal villus-crypt ratio in mice, thereby promoting intestinal structural morphology. Additionally, citric acid has been found to increase the population of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. It also promotes the expression of important protein genes such as occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1, which play crucial roles in maintaining the integrity of the tight junction barrier in the intestines. Furthermore, in infected IEC-6 cells with H9N2 avian influenza virus, citric acid augmented the expression of genes closely associated with the influenza virus infection. Moreover, it reduces the inflammatory response caused by the viral infection and thwarted influenza virus replication. These findings suggest that citric acid fortifies the intestinal tight junction barrier, inhibits the replication of influenza viruses targeting the intestinal tract, and boosts intestinal immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Hu
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
| | - Meng Yuan
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
| | - Bolun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Jiaqi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Shihong Yan
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Huiqing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Ji-Long Chen
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Song Wang
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Yanmei Ma
- Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (P.H.); (M.Y.); (S.Y.); (J.-L.C.); (S.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (B.G.); (J.L.); (H.H.)
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Zhang XY, Xu JD, Wang Y, Wu CY, Zhou J, Shen H, Zou YT, Zhu JH, Zhou SS, Li SL, Xu J, Long F. Comparing steamed and wine-stewed Rehmanniae Radix in terms of Yin-nourishing effects via metabolomics and microbiome analysis. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 311:116424. [PMID: 37003400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP), the processed root of Rehmannia glutinosa, has been widely used to treat Yin deficiency syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. RRP is available in two forms: processed by steaming with water (SRR) or processed by stewing with yellow rice wine (WRR). Previous work has documented chemical differences in the secondary metabolomes and glycomes of SRR and WRR. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed to compare SRR and WRR in terms of Yin-nourishing effects via metabolomics and microbiome analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS ICR mice were orally administered with thyroxine for 14 d to induce Yin deficiency. Changes in biochemical indices and histopathology were detected. Serum metabolomics analysis and microbial 16S rRNA sequencing were performed to compare the therapeutic effects and mechanisms between SRR and WRR in treating thyroxine-induced Yin deficiency. RESULTS Both SRR and WRR decreased serum T3, T4 and MDA levels, and increased SOD activity. SRR more effectively decreased serum Cr, and ameliorated kidney injury, while WRR showed better regulation on ratio of cAMP/cGMP and serum TSH, and relieved thyroid injury. Both SRR and WRR regulated tyrosine, glycerophospholipid, and linoleic acid metabolism and the citric acid cycle. Additionally, SRR regulated fatty acid metabolism, while WRR influenced alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and bile acid biosynthesis. SRR significantly enriched the genera Staphylococcus and Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome, while WRR significantly enriched the genera Akkermansia, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides, and decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus. CONCLUSIONS SRR displayed better protective effects on kidney, while WRR showed stronger effects on thyroid in thyroxine-induced Yin deficient mice. These differences might be due to different regulating effects of SRR and WRR on the metabolome and gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ya Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Jin-Di Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Cheng-Ying Wu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Ye-Ting Zou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Jin-Hao Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Shan-Shan Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Fang Long
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
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Zhu Y, Jha SC, Shutta KH, Huang T, Balasubramanian R, Clish CB, Hankinson SE, Kubzansky LD. Psychological distress and metabolomic markers: A systematic review of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and subclinical distress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104954. [PMID: 36368524 PMCID: PMC9729460 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Psychological distress can be conceptualized as an umbrella term encompassing symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or stress more generally. A systematic review of metabolomic markers associated with distress has the potential to reveal underlying molecular mechanisms linking distress to adverse health outcomes. The current systematic review extends prior reviews of clinical depressive disorders by synthesizing 39 existing studies that examined metabolomic markers for PTSD, anxiety disorders, and subclinical psychological distress in biological specimens. Most studies were based on small sets of pre-selected candidate metabolites, with few metabolites overlapping between studies. Vast heterogeneity was observed in study design and inconsistent patterns of association emerged between distress and metabolites. To gain a more robust understanding of distress and its metabolomic signatures, future research should include 1) large, population-based samples and longitudinal assessments, 2) replication and validation in diverse populations, 3) and agnostic metabolomic strategies profiling hundreds of targeted and nontargeted metabolites. Addressing these research priorities will improve the scope and reproducibility of future metabolomic studies of psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Shaili C Jha
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Katherine H Shutta
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tianyi Huang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Raji Balasubramanian
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Clary B Clish
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Hankinson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Chen MH, Zhou J, Wu CY, Zhang W, Long F, Zhou SS, Xu JD, Wu J, Zou YT, Li SL, Shen H. Gut microbiota influenced the xenograft MC38 tumor growth potentially through interfering host lipid and amino acid metabolisms, basing on the integrated analysis of microbiome and metabolomics. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2022; 1192:123136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Zhou SS, Zhou J, Xu JD, Shen H, Kong M, Yip KM, Han QB, Zhao ZZ, Xu J, Chen HB, Li SL. Ginseng ameliorates exercise-induced fatigue potentially by regulating the gut microbiota. Food Funct 2021; 12:3954-3964. [PMID: 33977937 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo03384g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic effects of water extract of ginseng (WEG) on exercise-induced fatigue (EF) have been reported in several previous studies, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unexplored. In this study, the anti-EF effects of WEG were studied, and the potential mechanisms were discussed. We characterized the chemical components of WEG by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD), and then examined the anti-EF effects of WEG on a rat model of weight-loaded swimming with a focus on endogenous metabolism and gut microbiota. WEG contains abundant (90.15%, w/w) saccharides and ginsenosides with structurally diverse glycosyls. WEG taken orally showed strong anti-EF effects by ameliorating energy metabolism abnormality, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory response, disorders in the metabolism of bile acid, amino acid, fatty acid and lipid, as well as the gut microbiota dysbiosis. Given that gut microbiota is significantly associated with energy expenditure, systemic inflammation and host metabolism, these findings suggest a potential central role of the gut microbiota in mediating the anti-EF effect of WEG. That is, the saccharides and ginsenosides in WEG serve as energy substrates for specific intestinal bacteria, thereby beneficially regulating the gut microbiota, and the reshaped gut microbial ecosystem then triggers several molecular and cellular signaling pathways (e.g. butyrate or TGR5 signals) to achieve the therapeutic effects on EF. The outcomes highlighted here enable deeper insight into how WEG overcomes EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Shan Zhou
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. and Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. and Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jin-Di Xu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. and Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. and Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. and Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Ka-Man Yip
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
| | - Quan-Bin Han
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
| | - Zhong-Zhen Zhao
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
| | - Jun Xu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. and Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hu-Biao Chen
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. and Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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Zhang W, Chen Y, Jiang H, Yang J, Wang Q, Du Y, Xu H. Integrated strategy for accurately screening biomarkers based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology. Talanta 2020; 211:120710. [PMID: 32070601 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.120710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Screening diagnostic biomarkers can be challenging due to the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and ambiguous pharmacological mechanisms. In this study, we reported an integrated strategy for accurately screening diagnostic biomarkers based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology. First, a feasible pharmacological model was established through systems pharmacology and based on metabolomics-based techniques to explore diagnostic biomarkers. While the components satisfying the q-value < 0.05, fold change (FC) ≥ 1.2 or FC ≤ 0.8, coefficient of variance (CV) ≤ 30%(QC) and the variable importance in the project (VIP) value > 1 are considered to be diagnostic biomarkers. Second, the ingredients were retained only when oral bioavailability (OB), Caco-2 permeability, drug half-life, TPSA and drug likeness (DL) satisfied the criteria (OB ≥ 40%; Caco-2 ≥ -0.4; HL ≥ 4 h; TPSA˂140; DL ≥ 0.18) suggested by the TCMSP database. Moreover, ingredients that exhibit extensive biological activity in TCM are also retained. Third, the effect targets of TCM were screened using the TCMSP database, Swiss Target Prediction and STICH online software. Disease targets were gathered from the therapeutic target database (TTD), PharmGkb and TCMSP database. Hub genes were screened by potential protein-protein interaction (PPI) network pharmacology analysis. Finally, a metabolic network pathway is established between the diagnostic biomarker and the hub gene. In the network analysis of metabolic pathways, most of the genes involved in this pathway are the second-step-obtained hub genes, which can explain the accuracy of the identified biomarkers. The proposed integrated strategy was successfully applied to explore the mechanism of action of Pulsatilla decoction (PD) in the treatment of acute ulcerative colitis (UC). Based on this integrated strategy, 23 potential biomarkers of acute UC treated with PD were identified. In conclusion, the integrated strategy provides novel insights into network pharmacology and metabolomics as effective tools to illuminate the mechanism of action of TCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, PR China
| | - Honghong Jiang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Jianxi Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Qiao Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yingfeng Du
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Huijun Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
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