Broad range metabolomics coupled with network analysis for explaining possible mechanisms of Er-Zhi-Wan in treating liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome of Traditional Chinese medicine

Impact of different processing methods of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. on kidney-yin deficiency: a study based on pharmacodynamics and metabolomics research

This study aimed to explore the pharmacodynamics and mechanisms of different processing methods of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (LLA) in addressing kidney-yin deficiency (KYD). Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into eight groups based on their weight. The KYD model was established by intragastric administration of levothyroxine sodium. Each group was administered the corresponding treatment for 15 consecutive days. The general condition of the rats during the treatment period was observed. In addition, the levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and the ratio of cAMP to cGMP in the serum of rats from different groups were measured. Serum samples were analyzed using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-Orbitrap Fusion MS technique for metabolomics analysis. Compared with the model group, the general condition of the rats in the wine-steamed L. lucidum group (WL) and salt-steamed L. lucidum group (SSL) groups showed significant improvement. The serum levels of cAMP, cGMP, and the cAMP-to-cGMP ratio tended to return to normal. Metabolic analysis identified 38 relevant biomarkers and revealed 3 major metabolic pathways: phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; phenylalanine metabolism; and sphingolipid metabolism. The different processing methods of LLA demonstrated therapeutic effects on KYD in rats, likely related to the restoration of disturbed metabolism by adjusting the levels of endogenous metabolites in the kidney. The SSL demonstrated significantly superior effects compared with the other four types of LLA processed products.

The active components of Erzhi wan and their anti-Alzheimer's disease mechanisms determined by an integrative approach of network pharmacology, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation

Erzhi Wan (EZW), a classic Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, has shown promise as a potential therapeutic option for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet its mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we employed an integrative in-silico approach to investigate the active components and their mechanisms against AD. We screened four active components with blood-brain barrier permeabilities from TCMSP, along with 307 corresponding targets predicted by SwissTargetPrediction, PharmMapper, and TCMbank websites. Then, we retrieved 2260 AD-related targets from Genecards, OMIM, and NCBI databases. Furthermore, we constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the intersected targets via the STRING database and performed the GO and KEGG enrichment analyses using the "clusterProfiler" R package. The results showed that the intersected targets were intimately related to the p53/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, and response to oxygen level. Subsequently, 25 core targets were found differentially expressed in brain regions by bioinformatics analyses of GEO datasets of clinical samples from the Alzdata database. The binding sites and stabilities between the active components and the core targets were investigated by the molecular docking approach using Autodock 4.2.6 software, followed by pocket detection and druggability assessment via the DoGSiteScorer server. The results showed that acacetin, β-sitosterol, and 3-O-acetyldammarenediol-II strongly interacted with the druggable pockets of AR, CASP8, POLB, and PREP. Eventually, the docking results were further cross-referenced with the literature research and validated by 100 ns of molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS software. Binding free energies were calculated via MM/PBSA strategy combined with interaction entropy. The simulation results indicated stable bindings between four docking pairs including acacetin-AR, acacetin-CASP8, β-sitosterol-POLB, and 3-O-acetyldammarenediol-II-PREP. Overall, our study demonstrated a theoretical basis for how three active components of EZW confer efficacy against AD. It provides a promising reference for subsequent research regarding drug discoveries and clinical applications.

Integrated metabolomic and lipidomic analysis revealed the protective mechanisms of Erzhi Wan on senescent NRK cells through BRL cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Erzhi Wan (EZW), as a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for tonifying the liver and kidney. Although past studies have shown that EZW has potential anti-aging effect, the mechanisms associated with cellular metabolomics and lipidomics are not fully understood.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-aging effect of EZW and investigate the mechanisms associated with cellular metabolomics and lipidomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

EZW solution at dosage of 3.6 g/kg in Sprague-Dawley rats was orally administered twice a day for 7 days and serum containing EZW was then collected. NRK cell senescence model induced by D-galactose was established in vitro, and non-contact co-culture cell assay was performed between senescent NRK cells and BRL cells intervened by serum containing EZW. The anti-aging effect of EZW on NRK cells was evaluated by metabolites identification, differential metabolites screening and metabolic pathways analysis through cellular metabolomics with GC-MS and lipidomics with UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS.

RESULTS

Serum containing EZW indicated a protective effect through intervening BRL cells in non-contact co-culture system with D-gal-induced senescent NRK cells. For metabolic profiles, 71 endogenous metabolites were identified, among which 24 significantly differential metabolites were screened as metabolomics potential biomarkers. For lipidic profiles, 64 lipid components were identified in NRK cell samples under positive ion mode, among which 24 potential biomarkers of lipids were screened, mainly including PC and PE. 127 lipid components were identified in NRK cell samples under negative ion mode, among which 59 potential biomarkers of lipids were screened, including FA, PC, PE, PI and PS. Metabolic pathway analysis demonstrated that the identified differential metabolites found mainly involved in amino acids metabolism, energy metabolism and phospholipid biosynthesis pathways.

CONCLUSION

Serum containing EZW exhibited protective effect on D-gal-induced senescent NRK cells through intervening BRL cells by mainly regulating amino acids metabolism, energy metabolism and phospholipid biosynthesis pathways to possess its anti-aging function, providing a theoretical basis for clinical treatment of EZW.

Effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is currently recognized as one of the most serious diabetic microangiopathies and a major cause of adult blindness. Commonly used clinical approaches include etiological control, microvascular improvement, and surgical intervention, but they are ineffective and have many side effects. Oral Chinese medicine (OCM) has been used for thousands of years to treat DR and is still widely used today, but it is unclear which OCM is more effective for DR.

AIM

To estimate relative effectiveness and safety profiles for different classes of OCMs for DR, and provide rankings of the available OCMs.

METHODS

The search time frame was from the creation of the database to January 2023. RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 software were used to perform the systematic review and Network meta-analyses (NMA).

RESULTS

A total of 107 studies and 9710 patients were included, including 4767 cases in the test group and 4973 cases in the control group. Based on previous studies and clinical reports, and combined with the recommendations of Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of DR, 9 OCMs were finally included in this study, namely Compound Xueshuantong Capsules, Qiming Granules, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, Hexue Mingmu Tablets (HXMM), Qiju Dihuang Pills (QJDH), Shuangdan Mingmu Capsules (SDMM), Danggui Buxue Decoction (DGBX), Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Buyang Huanwu Decoction. When these nine OCMs were analyzed in combination with conventional western medicine treatment (CT) compared with CT alone, the NMA results showed that HXMM + CT has better intervention effect on the overall efficacy of DR patients, HXMM + CT has better effect on improving patients' visual acuity, SDMM + CT has better effect on inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor, DGBX + CT has better effect on reducing fundus hemorrhage area, HXMM + CT has better effect on reducing fasting blood glucose, and QJDH + CT has better effect on reducing glycated hemoglobin. When there are not enough clinical indicators for reference, SDMM + CT or HXMM + CT treatments can be chosen because they are effective for more indicators and demonstrate multidimensional efficacy.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that combining OCMs with CT leads to better outcomes in all aspects of DR compared to using CT alone. Based on the findings, we highly recommend the use of SDMM or HXMM for the treatment of DR. These two OCMs have demonstrated outstanding efficacy across multiple indicators.

Integrative multilevel exploration of the mechanism by which Er-Zhi-Wan alleviates the Parkinson's disease (PD)-like phenotype in the MPTP-induced PD mouse model

The neuroprotective effects of Er-Zhi-Wan (EZW), a well-known traditional Chinese formulation, in MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) models are poorly understood and require evaluation. A model of PD induced by MPTP was used to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of EZW in mice. The underlying pharmacological mechanisms of EZW for the prevention and treatment of PD were then explored using a combination of multilevel databases, network pharmacology, biological experiments, and LCMS/MS. In vivo data showed that pretreatment with EZW can be neuroprotective against MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and can effectively rescue dopaminergic neurons from MPTP-induced degeneration in mice. Furthermore, data from combined multilevel databases and network pharmacology analysis strategies suggested that the neuroprotective activity of EZW in the treatment of PD is mediated by a complicated multicomponent, multitarget network. Genes such as Grm2, Grm5, Drd2, and Grik2 were identified as important therapeutic targets. Subsequent experimental validation showed that EZW can broadly regulate the mRNA levels of these receptor genes as well as BDNF, and consequently increase the phosphorylation levels of CREB to stimulate CREB signaling. These targets and signaling systems may be responsible for the reversal of neuronal death by EZW after MPTP exposure. The LC-MS/MS results also identified a wide range of chemical components of EZW, including at least 53 precise compounds, further demonstrating the complexity of the network in which EZW exerts its neuroprotective activity. Our work provides evidence for the mechanism of EZW in MPTP-PD models and supports the neuroprotective function of EZW in neurodegenerative diseases.

Wedelolactone induces natural killer cell activity and the improvement to bioavailability using polysaccharides from Ligustri Lucidi Fructus

Wedelolactone (WDL) is the major bioactive component in Ecliptae Herba. This present study investigated the effects of WDL on natural killer cell functions and possible underlying mechanisms. It was proved that wedelolactone enhanced the killing ability of NK92-MI by upregulating the expression of perforin and granzyme B through the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Additionally, wedelolactone could induce the migration of NK-92MI cells by promoting CCR7 and CXCR4 expressions. However, the application of WDL is limited due to poor solubility and bioavailability. Accordingly, this study investigated the impact of polysaccharides from Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLFPs) on WDL. The biopharmaceutical properties and pharmacokinetic characteristics were determined to compare WDL individually and in combination with LLFPs. The results showed that LLFPs could benefit the biopharmaceutical properties of WDL. Specifically, stability, solubility, and permeability were increased by 1.19-1.82-fold, 3.22-fold, and 1.08-fold higher than those of WDL alone, respectively. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic study revealed that LLFPs could remarkably improve AUC_(0-t) (150.34 vs. 50.47 ng/mL ∗ h), t_1/2 (40.78 vs. 2.81 h), and MRT_(0-∞) (46.64 vs. 5.05 h) for WDL. In conclusion, WDL would be considered a potential immunopotentiator, and LLFPs could overcome the instability and insolubility, ultimately improving the bioavailability of this plant-derived phenolic coumestan.

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based lipidomics reveals key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Polygonum cuspidatum against hyperlipidemia in a hamster model

Polygonum cuspidatum is a homology of traditional medicine and functional food widely distributed around the world. Our previous study on the hyperlipidemic animal model demonstrated that Polygonum cuspidatum was effective in ameliorating hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by lipid disorders. Herein, the regulatory effect of Polygonum cuspidatum on lipid metabolism needs to be known if its hypolipidemic mechanism is desired to clarify. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based lipidomic strategy was first applied to investigate the lipidomic patterns of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters when treated with Polygonum cuspidatum. The results showed that Polygonum cuspidatum improved the lipidomic profile of hyperlipidemia. A total of 65 differential lipids related to the hypolipidemic effect of Polygonum cuspidatum were screened out and identified, and these differential lipids covered various categories, such as phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, triacylglycerols, sphingomyelins and so on. Orally administrated Polygonum cuspidatum restored these differential lipids back to normal or nearly normal levels. This study adopted lipidomics to reveal the key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Polygonum cuspidatum against hyperlipidemia, which would provide a scientific basis for its clinical application.

Mechanism of Erzhiwan in treating osteoporosis based on molecular docking technology and molecular dynamics simulation

This experiment was a network pharmacology research based on the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine. TCMSP database, PubChem database, RCSB database, and SwissTargetPrediction database were used to study the effective chemical constituents of Ligustri lucidi Fructus and Ecliptae Herba in Erzhiwan, a traditional prescription for nourishing the liver and kidney. Then Genecards database, OMIM database, OMIM Gene Map, and Metascape database were used to study the therapeutic targets of osteoporosis. At last, Cytoscape 3.6.0 software, its built-in Bisogenet and CytoNCA, AutoDockTools-1.5.6 software, PYMOL-2.2.0 software, and Gromacs software, by drawing the relationship diagram between chemical components and disease targets, PPI network of disease, semi-flexible molecular docking technology, evaluation and analysis of enrichment pathway, and molecular dynamics simulation, were used to study the therapeutic mechanism of Erzhiwan on osteoporosis. It is found that the intervention and regulation of Erzhiwan on osteoporosis were mainly realized through multiple targets of active ingredients and multiple pathways, which provided support for the continued development of Erzhiwan.

Discovery of potential active ingredients of Er-Zhi-Wan, a famous traditional Chinese formulation, in model rat serum for treating osteoporosis with kidney-yin deficiency by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and molecular docking

Er-Zhi-Wan (EZW), a classical traditional Chinese formulation, has attracted more and more attention. This study was carried out to analyze the constituents of EZW absorbed into blood and find out the potential active ingredients for treating osteoporosis (OP) with kidney-yin deficiency (KYD). The rat model of OP with KYD was achieved by ovariectomies and using the mixture of thyroxine and reserpine. Then ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) combined with statistical analysis was used to analyze the constituents of EZW absorbed into blood and differential components between the normal and OP with KYD rats. Finally, the components identified in OP with KYD rats were docked with targets of OP with KYD found in online databases. The results of molecular docking were adopted to find the potential active ingredients and further verified in vitro experiment. A total of 21 prototype compounds and 69 metabolites were identified in serum. Among them, 63 components in model rats and 50 components in normal rats were summarized, respectively. Most of the identified metabolites in serum of model rats were produced by hydrolysis, oxidation or glucuronidation, while in serum of normal rats were produced by hydrolysis, oxidation and methylation. According to the results of molecular docking, specnuezhenide, salidroside, tyrosol, echinacoside and verbascoside could be classified as potential active ingredients. The activity of salidroside and a metabolite was verified by pharmacodynamics analysis. In summary, UPLC-Q/TOF-MS system was combined with molecular docking to search the potential active ingredients from model rats of OP with KYD, which provided a new idea for the research on the pharmacodynamic material basis of other traditional medicine. Moreover, the result of this study lays the foundation for further study regarding the mechanism of EZW in treating OP with KYD.

Deciphering the Q-markers of nourishing kidney-yin of Cortex Phellodendri amurense from ZhibaiDihuang pill based on Chinmedomics strategy

BACKGROUND

Cortex Phellodendri amurensis (CPA) has high medicinal value in the treatment of kidney-yin deficiency diseases. However, due to the lack of research on the therapeutic material basis of CPA, the current quality control standard for CPA is defective, and the effect of the nourishing kidney-yin of CPA was limited.

PURPOSE

Based on the principle of correspondence between the syndrome and prescriptions, we studied the CPA in ZhibaiDihuang pill (ZBDH) to identify quality markers (Q-markers) of CPA in ZBDH for treating kidney-yin deficiency and seek the potential Q-markers of CPA under nourishing kidney-yin effect combined with the analysis of single CPA.

METHODS

Taking Chinmedomics as the core strategy, metabonomics analysis and effective component identification were performed by UPLC-MS.

RESULTS

A total of 121 chemical components of ZBDH were identified, among which the contents of berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine and magnoflorine changed the most obviously with the addition of CPA. Forty-five components were identified in the blood in the markedly effective state, including berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine and magnoflorine. The therapeutic material basis of ZBDH in the treatment of kidney-yin deficiency was found, and 6 components were found to derive from CPA, including magnoflorine and jatrorrhizine. In addition, seventeen components were identified in the blood in the single CPA treatment, including berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine and magnoflorine.

CONCLUSIONS

Magnoflorine and jatrorrhizine were the Q-markers of CPA for treating kidney-yin deficiency in the formula of ZBDH and they were also potential Q-markers of the nourishing kidney-yin of CPA.

Comprehensive TCM treatments combined with chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized, controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent chemotherapy.

DESIGN

This was a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial. NSCLC patients at stage IIIA, IIIB, or IV were randomly assigned to either TCM plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. The comprehensive TCM treatment consisted of Kang Ai injection, herbal decoction, and Zhenqifuzheng capsules. The primary endpoint was quality of life (QOL) measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung version 4.0. The secondary endpoints were chemotherapy completion rate, tumor response, and adverse events. All assessments were done at baseline, the third week, and the sixth week.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 36 to the control group. The QOL scores were significantly improved in the treatment group compared with those of the control group in social well-being (cycle 1, P = .048; cycle 2, P = .015), emotional well-being (cycle 1, P = .047; cycle 2, P = 4.29E-05), and functional well-being (cycle 1, P = .030; cycle 2, P = .003), while the QOL scores in the above 3 domains declined in the control group (P < .05). Both groups had a decline in the physical well-being score (cycle 1, P = .042; cycle 2, P = .017) and lung cancer symptom score (cycle 1, P = .001; cycle 2, P = .001) after 2 courses of intervention. The deterioration in physical well-being and lung cancer symptoms was noticeably smaller in the treatment group (P < .05). There were significant differences between the 2 groups in social well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being, lung cancer symptom domain, and the total score (P < .05). Patients in the treatment group had a significantly lower incidence of platelet reduction than the control group (P = .028) after 2 cycles of treatment. No significant difference in nonhematological adverse events (AEs) was observed.

CONCLUSION

This study illustrated that comprehensive TCM treatment could promote the QOL of NSCLC patients, alleviate symptoms, and reduce the AEs caused by chemotherapy, verifying the synergistic and attenuating effects of TCM in NSCLC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn): ChiCTR-TRC-13003637.

Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects and Mechanism of Action of Fructus ligustri lucidi Extract in BV2 Microglia

For centuries, Fructus ligustri lucidi (FLL; the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Aiton or Ligustrum japonicum Thunb.) has been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating hepatitis and aging-related symptoms and in traditional Korean medicine to detoxify kidneys and the liver. Pharmacological research has shown FLL has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-osteoporosis, and hepatoprotective activities. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of FLL extract (FLLE) on neuroinflammation. After setting a non-toxic concentration using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide] assay data, we investigated the effects of FLLE using Western blotting, cell migration, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a nitric oxide (NO) assay, and immunofluorescence staining in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine BV2 microglial cells. FLLE was non-toxic to BV2 cells up to a concentration of 500 μg/mL and concentration-dependently inhibited the production of NO and prostaglandin E₂ and the protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 under LPS-induced inflammatory conditions. It also inhibited the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, FLLE pretreatment attenuated LPS-induced increases of CD68 (a marker of microglia activation) and suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells, and significantly increased heme oxygenase (HO)-1 levels. FLLE also reduced the LPS-induced increase in the migratory ability of BV2 cells and the phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1. Collectively, FLLE effectively inhibited inflammatory response by suppressing the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and inducing HO-1 in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Our findings provide a scientific basis for further study of FLL as a candidate for preventing or alleviating neuroinflammation.

Integrative serum metabolomics and network analysis on mechanisms exploration of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan Decoction on doxorubicin-induced heart failure mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan Decoction (LGZGD) formula, derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has definitive clinical efficacy in the treatment of heart failure (HF) in China. However, little is known of the underlying mechanism of LGZGD.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this work was to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of LGZGD on HF treatment based on an integration of the serum metabolomics and network analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HF model mice were established by intraperitoneal injecting of doxorubicin. Body weight, echocardiography, biochemical assay and hematoxylin and eosin staining experiments were used to evaluate the efficacy of LGZGD. A metabolomics approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) was performed to analyze the serum biomarkers from model group, control group and LGZGD-treatment group. Principle component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were utilized to identify differences of metabolic profiles in mice among the three groups. The network of "gene-enzyme-metabolite" was built to investigate the possible mechanism of LGZGD from the systematic perspective.

RESULTS

54 metabolites, which showed a significantly restoring trend from HF to normal condition, were regarded as potential biomarkers of LGZGD treatment. The most critical pathway was glycerophospholipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism. According to the results of network analysis, 8 biomarkers were regarded as hub metabolites, which meant these metabolites may have a major relationship with the LGZGD therapeutic effects for the HF. 8 enzymes and 29 genes in the network were considered as potential targets of LGZGD treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

By integrated serum metabolomic and network analysis, we found that LGZGD might retard the pathological process of HF by regulating the disturbed metabolic pathways and the relative enzymes, which may be potential mechanism for LGZGD in the treatment of HF.

GC-MS based metabolomic profiling of lung tissue couple with network pharmacology revealed the possible protection mechanism of Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid in LPS-induced lung injury of mice

Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid (PDL) originated from "Pudilan" Classic Recipe of traditional Chinese medicine is one kind of anti-inflammatory Chinese patent medicine recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia. PDL has been used clinically for treating inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. However, due to the complex composition of PDL, its potential anti-inflammation and the mechanism remain unknown. To identify the mechanism of the PDL in the treatment of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury of mice. The mice models of lung injury were established and the changes of biochemical indices in serum and histopathology were detected to explore the effects of PDL. The approach of GC-MS metabolomics was used to find more significant metabolites, and the metabolic pathways were enriched through MetaboAnalyst. Then network analysis was applied to visualize the protein related to the important metabolites, merging into a protein-metabolite network via Cytoscape. The treatment of PDL could attenuate LPS-induced histopathological damage of lung tissues, followed by reducing pro-inflammation mediators including IL-10, TNF-a and NF-ĸB in serum. 11 potential metabolites were identified in lung tissue through metabolomics, which were significantly regulated to recover by PDL treatment. The correlated network was constructed by integrating potential metabolites and pathways. Aspartate and l-cysteine were selected as key metabolites and correlated proteins such as IL4I1 and ASPA were speculated as the potential target to treat LPS-induced lung injury using PDL. These results demonstrated that PDL might prevent the pathological process of lung injury through regulating the disturbed protein-metabolite network.

HLA-DQB1/DRB1 Alleles Associate with Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Potential Predictor of Progression

Background and Aims

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) supplementary treatment in China. Kidney yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS), one of the most common TCM syndromes of CHB, is more likely to progress to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma than other syndromes. Polymorphisms in the human leucocyte antigen- (HLA-) DQB1 and -DRB1 genes were reported to be associated with hepatitis B virus infection outcomes. Here, we investigated whether HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 are associated with the classification of CHB TCM syndromes.

Methods

We genotyped HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 alleles in a total of 105 subjects, including 74 CHB patients (28 KYDS and 46 non-KYDS) and 31 healthy individuals from Sichuan Province of Southwest China, by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT). Moreover, a meta-analysis was carried out for further verification.

Results

The proportion of patients with high HBV DNA load (≥2000 IU/ml) in the KYDS group is higher than that in the non-KYDS group (60.70% [17/28] vs. 28.30% [13/46]); P=0.01). The frequencies of HLA-DQB1∗02:01 (P=0.04) and HLA-DRB1∗03:01 (P=0.04) in the KYDS group were significantly increased compared to the non-KYDS group. The gene test and meta-analysis showed that HLA-DRB1∗08:03 confers susceptibility to CHB (odds ratio = 1.57).

Conclusion

We found an association between HLA-DRB1/DQB1 polymorphisms and KYDS of CHB. Moreover, KYDS patients of CHB are characteristic with high HBV DNA loads. These findings help to reveal the biological mechanism of KYDS in high risk of CHB progression and suggest a potential prognostic value for disease outcome evaluation.

iTRAQ-Based Proteomics to Reveal the Mechanism of Hypothalamus in Kidney-Yin Deficiency Rats Induced by Levothyroxine

Kidney-yin deficiency syndrome (KYDS) is a typical syndrome encountered in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is characterized by impaired lipid and glucose homeostasis. The hypothalamus acts as an important regulatory organ by controlling lipid and glucose metabolism in the body. Therefore, proteins in the hypothalamus could play important roles in KYDS development; however, the mechanisms responsible for KYDS remain unclear. Herein, iTRAQ-based proteomics was performed to analyze the protein expression in the hypothalamus of KYDS rats induced by levothyroxine (L-T₄). Results revealed a total of 44 downregulated and 18 upregulated proteins in KYDS group relative to the control group. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the differently expressed proteins (DEPs) were related to single-organism metabolism process under the biological process (BP), extracellular region part and organelle under the cellular component (CC), and oxidoreductase activity under the molecular function (MF). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that fatty acid degradation and pyruvate metabolism participated in the metabolism regulation in KYDS rats. RT-PCR validation of five distinctly expressed proteins related to the two pathways was consistent with the results of proteomics analysis. Taken together, the inhibition of fatty acid degradation and pyruvate metabolism in hypothalamus could potentially cause the dysfunction of the lipid and glucose metabolism in KYDS rats. This current study identified some novel potential biomarkers of KYDS and provided the basis for further research of KYDS.