UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Based Metabolomics Approach to Study the Hepatotoxicity of Cantharidin on Mice

The antipyretic effect of the famous classical formula Qingwanzi Pills on a rabbit model and its serum metabolomic study

Qingwanzi Pills (QP) were first mentioned in the "Puji Fang" of the Ming Dynasty, with a history of approximately 600 years. The formula consisted of Gypsum Fibrosum and Indigo Naturalis. It is a famous classical formula with antipyretic effects frequently utilized in ancient China, although our knowledge about the overall antipyretic mechanism of QP remains limited. Therefore, we replicated the fever model in New Zealand rabbits induced by lipopolysaccharide, performed the pharmacodynamic evaluation of QP, identified the differential metabolites among QP groups, and performed pathway enrichment analysis to comparatively analyze the effects of QP on fever-related metabolic pathways by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the antipyretic effect of QP was superior to that of each disassembled prescription, with Gypsum Fibrosum primarily contributing to the efficacy, followed by Indigo Naturalis and Junci Medulla. QP had an effective antipyretic effect, which was related to lowering the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and calcium in rabbit serum, lowering the levels of PGE2 and cAMP in rabbit cerebrospinal fluid, and increasing the level of calcium in rabbit cerebrospinal fluid. A total of 27 endogenous biomarkers were screened by serum metabolomics for the treatment of fever with QP. It is hypothesized that the antipyretic mechanism of QP may be related to regulating α-linolenic acid, sphingolipid, tryptophan, and bile acid metabolism. In summary, QP exhibited a significant antipyretic effect in rabbits with lipopolysaccharide-induced fever.

Covalent Binding of Reactive Anhydride of Cantharidin to Biological Amines

Cantharidin is a terpenoid from coleoptera beetles. Cantharidin has been used to treat molluscum contagiosum and some types of tumors. Cantharidin is highly toxic, and cantharidin poisoning and fatal cases have been reported worldwide. The mechanisms underlying cantharidin-induced toxicity remain unclear. Cantharidin contains anhydride, which may react with biologic amines. This study aimed to examine the chemical reactivity of cantharidin toward nucleophiles and characterize adducts of cantharidin with biologic amines in vitro and in mice. Here two types of conjugates were formed in the incubation of cantharidin under physiologic conditions with free amino acids, a mimic peptide, or amine-containing compounds, respectively. Amide-type conjugates were produced by the binding of cantharidin anhydride with the primary amino group of biologic amines. Imide-type conjugates were generated from the dehydration and cyclization of amide-type conjugates. The structure of the conjugates was characterized by using high-resolution mass spectrometry. We introduced the 14N/15N and 79Br/81Br isotope signatures to confirm the formation of conjugates using L-(ε)15N-lysine, L-lysine-15N2, and bromine-tagged hydrazine, respectively. The structure of imide conjugate was also confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Furthermore, the amide and imide conjugates of cantharidin with amino acids or N-acetyl-lysine were detected in mouse liver and urine. Cantharidin was found to modify lysine residue proteins in mouse liver. Pan-cytochrome P450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole significantly increased the urine cantharidin-N-acetyl-lysine conjugates, whereas it decreased cantharidin metabolites. In summary, cantharidin anhydride can covalently bind to biologic amines nonenzymatically, which facilitates a better understanding of the role of nonenzymatic reactivity in cantharidin poisoning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Anhydride moiety of cantharidin can covalently bind to the primary amino group of biological amines nonenzymatically. Amide and imide conjugates were generated after the covalent binding of cantharidin anhydride with the primary amino groups of amino acids, a mimic peptide, and protein lysine residues. The structure of conjugates was confirmed by 14N/15N and 79Br/81Br isotope signatures using isotope-tagged reagents and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. This study will facilitate the understanding of the role of nonenzymatic reactivity in cantharidin poisoning.

Shuganning Injection Suppresses Apoptosis for Protecting Against Cantharidin-Induced Liver Injury by Network Pharmacology and Experiment Validation

Cantharidin (CTD) is a compound of mylabris with antitumor activity, and CTD can potentially cause toxicity, especially hepatotoxicity. The classical Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription Shuganning injection (SGNI) exerts notable anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects. However, the protective property and mechanism of SGNI against CTD-induced liver injury (CTD-DILI) have not yet been elucidated. To investigate the effective compounds, potential targets, and molecular mechanism of SGNI against CTD-DILI, network pharmacology combined with experiments were performed. This study found that SGNI could act with 62 core therapeutic targets, regulate multiple biological processes such as apoptosis, and oxidative stress, and influence apoptotic and p53 signaling pathways to treat CTD-DILI. Subsequently, HepaRG cell experiments demonstrated that SGNI pretreatment significantly increased the levels of GSH-Px and SOD, inhibiting the apoptosis induced by CTD. In vivo, according to H&E staining, SGNI can reduce the degeneration of hepatocytes and cytoplasmic vacuolation in mice exposed to CTD. Western blot analysis results indicated that SGNI pretreatment significantly suppressed the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax while increasing the expression of Bcl-2. In conclusion, SGNI acted as a protective agent against CTD-DILI by inhibiting apoptosis.

A UPLC-QTOF/MS-based hepatic tissue metabolomics approach deciphers the mechanism of Huachansu tablets-based intervention against hepatocellular carcinoma

Huachansu (HCS) tablets, classified as well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation, have been proved to be effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical studies. However, the underlying mechanism of HCS tablets against HCC has not been comprehensively elucidated. In this study, a rat model of HCC was established with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) inducer. The efficacy of HCS tablets against HCC was assessed through liver histopathological examination and evaluation of biochemical indicators. A metabolomics method based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS combined with multivariate data analysis was established to identify differential metabolites related to the inhibition effect of HCS tablets on HCC, and then the relevant metabolic pathway analysis was performed to investigate the anti-HCC mechanisms of HCS tablets. The results showed that compared to the control group, the HCC model group showed a significant increase in the values of HCC-related biochemical indicators and the number of tumor nodules, indicating the successful establishment of the HCC rat model. Upon treatment with HCS tablets, the values of HCC-related biochemical indicators decreased, liver fibrosis and nuclear deformation were also significantly alleviated. A total of 15 differential metabolites associated with the anti-tumor effect of HCS tablets on HCC were screened and annotated through hepatic tissue metabolomics studies. Analysis of metabolic pathways revealed that the therapeutic effects of HCS tablets on HCC mainly involved the pentose and glucuronate interconversions and arachidonic acid metabolism. Further western blotting corroborated that the alteration in arachidonic acid (AA) level after the intervention of HCS tablets was related to the inhibition of cPLA2α expression in rat liver tissues. In conclusion, HCS tablets exhibit a certain anti-tumor effect on HCC, and the metabolomics method based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS combined with further verification at the biochemical level is a promising way to reveal its underlying mechanism.

The Role of Protein Degradation in Estimation Postmortem Interval and Confirmation of Cause of Death in Forensic Pathology: A Literature Review

It is well known that proteins are important bio-macromolecules in human organisms, and numerous proteins are widely used in the clinical practice, whereas their application in forensic science is currently limited. This limitation is mainly attributed to the postmortem degradation of targeted proteins, which can significantly impact final conclusions. In the last decade, numerous methods have been established to detect the protein from a forensic perspective, and some of the postmortem proteins have been applied in forensic practice. To better understand the emerging issues and challenges in postmortem proteins, we have reviewed the current application of protein technologies at postmortem in forensic practice. Meanwhile, we discuss the application of proteins in identifying the cause of death, and postmortem interval (PMI). Finally, we highlight the interpretability and limitations of postmortem protein challenges. We believe that utilizing the multi-omics method can enhance the comprehensiveness of applying proteins in forensic practice.

Lipidomics reveals serum lipid metabolism disorders in CTD-induced liver injury

BACKGROUND

Cantharidin (CTD), the main toxic component of Mylabris, has been extensively used for tumor treatment in recent years. CTD-induced liver toxicity has attracted significant interest in clinic.

METHODS

In this study, biochemical parameters and liver pathological changes were analyzed after CTD was administered to mice by gavage. Subsequently, a lipidomic approach was used to investigate serum lipid metabolism disorders, and the mechanism underlying CTD-induced liver injury in mice was explored.

RESULTS

The results showed that the levels of TC and LDL-C were significantly increased after CTD intervention. Besides, pathological results showed inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatocyte necrosis in the liver. Furthermore, lipidomics found that a total of 18 lipid metabolites were increased and 40 were decreased, including LPC(20:4), LPC(20:3), PC(22:6e/2:0), PE(14:0e/21:2), PC(18:2e/22:6), glycerophospholipids, CE(16:0), CE(18:0) Cholesterol esters and TAG(12:0/12:0/22:3), TAG(16:1/16:2/20:4), TAG(18:1/18:1/20:0), TAG(16:2/18:2/18:2), TAG(18:0/18:0/20:0), TAG(13:1/19:0/19:0) glycerolipids. Metabolic pathway analysis found that glycerophospholipid, glycerol ester and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored biosynthetic metabolic pathways were dysregulated and the increase in PE caused by glycophoric metabololism and GPI may be the source of lipid metabolism disorders caused by CTD. Overall, the present study provided new insights into the mechanism of CTD-induced liver injury and increased drug safety during clinical application.

Bibliometric Analysis and Systemic Review of Cantharidin Research Worldwide

BACKGROUND

Cantharidin (CTD), a natural toxic compound from blister beetle Mylabris, has been used for cancer treatment for millenary. CTD and its analogs have become mainstream adjuvant drugs with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in clinical applications. However, the detailed pharmacology mechanism of CTD was not fully elucidated.

METHODS

Publications of CTD were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 1991 to 2023 using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica software.

RESULTS

A total of 1,611 publications of CTD were mainly published in China and the United States. The University of Newcastle has published the most researches. Mcclusey, Adam, Sakoff, Jennette, and Zhang, Yalin had the most CTD publications with higher H. Notably, CTD researches were mainly published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Cluster profile results revealed that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), human gallbladder carcinoma, Aidi injection, and cell apoptosis were the hotspots. Concentration on the pharmacology function of PP2A subunit regulation, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity mechanism should be strengthened in the future.

CONCLUSION

Bibliometric analysis combined with a systemic review of CTD research first revealed that PP2A and CTD analogs were the knowledge base of CTD, and PP2A subunit regulation and toxic mechanism could be the frontiers of CTD.

Hepatotoxic mechanism of cantharidin: insights and strategies for therapeutic intervention

Cantharidin (CTD), a natural compound derived from Mylabris, is widely used in traditional Oriental medicine for its potent anticancer properties. However, its clinical application is restricted due to its high toxicity, particularly towards the liver. This review provides a concise understanding of the hepatotoxic mechanisms of CTD and highlights novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate its toxicity while enhancing its anticancer efficacy. We systematically explore the molecular mechanisms underlying CTD-induced hepatotoxicity, focusing on the involvement of apoptotic and autophagic processes in hepatocyte injury. We further discuss the endogenous and exogenous pathways implicated in CTD-induced liver damage and potential therapeutic targets. This review also summarizes the structural modifications of CTD derivatives and their impact on anticancer activity. Additionally, we delve into the advancements in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems that hold promise in overcoming the limitations of CTD derivatives. By offering valuable insights into the hepatotoxic mechanisms of CTD and outlining potential avenues for future research, this review contributes to the ongoing efforts to develop safer and more effective CTD-based therapies.

The safety of Chinese medicine: A systematic review of endogenous substances and exogenous residues

BACKGROUND

Safety and toxicity have become major challenges in the internationalization of Chinese medicine. Inspite of its wide application, security problems of Chinese medicine still occur from time to time, raising widespread concerns about its safety. Most of the studies either only partially discussed the intrinsic toxicities or extrinsic harmful residues in Chinese medicine, or briefly described detoxification and attenuation methods. It is necessary to systematically discuss Chinese medicine's extrinsic and intrinsic toxic components and corresponding toxicity detoxification or detection methods as a whole.

PURPOSE

This review comprehensively summarizes various toxic components in Chinese medicine from intrinsic and extrinsic. Then the corresponding methods for detoxification or detection of toxicity are highlighted. It is expected to provide a reference for safeguards for developing and using Chinese medicine.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in the databases, including PubMed, Web of Science,Wan-fang database, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Keywords used were safety, toxicity, intrinsic toxicities, extrinsic harmful residues, alkaloids, terpene and macrolides, saponins, toxic proteins, toxic crystals, minerals, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, sulfur dioxide, detoxification, detection, processing (Paozhi), compatibility (Peiwu), Chinese medicine, etc., and combinations of these keywords. All selected articles were from 2006 to 2022, and each was assessed critically for our exclusion criteria. Studies describe the classification of toxic components of Chinese medicine, the toxic effects and mechanisms of Chinese medicine, and the corresponding methods for detoxification or detection of toxicity.

RESULTS

The toxic components of Chinese medicines can be classified as intrinsic toxicities and extrinsic harmful residues. Firstly, we summarized the intrinsic toxicities of Chinese medicine, the adverse effects and toxicity mechanisms caused by these components. Next, we focused on the detoxification or attenuation methods for intrinsic toxicities of Chinese medicine. The other main part discussed the latest progress in analytical strategies for exogenous hazardous substances, including heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins. Beyond reviewing mainstream instrumental methods, we also introduced the emerging biochip, biosensor and immuno-based techniques.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we provide an overall assessment of the recent progress in endogenous toxins and exogenous hazardous substances concerning Chinese medicine, which is expected to render deeper insights into the safety of Chinese medicine.

Development of Glycyrrhetinic Acid and Folate Modified Cantharidin Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Targeting Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cantharidin (CTD) is the major component of anticancer drugs obtained from Mylabris Cichorii and has a good inhibitory effect on several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and breast cancer. However, due to its toxicity, oral administration can cause various adverse reactions, limiting its clinical application. The aim of this work was to design glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)- and/or folate (FA)-modified solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for the encapsulation of CTD to target HCC. Four CTD-loaded SLNs (cantharidin solid lipid nanoparticles (CSLNs), glycyrrhetinic acid-modified cantharidin solid lipid nanoparticles (GA-CSLNs), folate-modified cantharidin solid lipid nanoparticles (FA-CSLNs), and glycyrrhetinic acid and folate-modified cantharidin solid lipid nanoparticles (GA-FA-CSLNs)) were prepared by the emulsion ultrasonic dispersion method, and their physicochemical parameters were determined (particle size and distribution, morphology, zeta-potential, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, and hemolysis). Additionally, the antitumor activities of the four SLNs were evaluated comprehensively by tests for cytotoxicity, cell migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, cellular uptake, competition suppression assay, and in vivo tumor suppression assay. Four SLNs showed spherical shapes and mean diameters in the range of 75–110 nm with size dispersion (PDI) within the range of 0.19–0.50 and zeta-potential approximately –10 mV. The entrapment efficiency of CTD in SLNs was higher than 95% for all tested formulations, and no hemolysis was observed. Compared to GA-CSLNs or CSLNs, GA-FA-CSLNs and FA-CSLNs showed stronger cytotoxicity on hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), and the cytotoxicity of GA-FA-CSLNs on hepatocyte cells (L-02) was remarkably reduced compared with other formulations. GA-FA-CSLNs and FA-CSLNs also increased the inhibition of HepG2 cell migration, and FA-CSLNs had the highest apoptosis rate. The cell cycle results indicated that HepG2 cells were arrested mainly in the S phase and G2/M phase. Analysis of competition inhibition experiments showed that GA and FA ligands had targeted effects on HepG2 cells. The in vivo tumor inhibition experiment showed that GA-FA-CSLNs and FA-CSLNs had excellent tumor inhibition ability—their tumor inhibition rates were 96.46% and 89.92%, respectively. Our results indicate that GA-FA-CSLNs and FA-CSLNs have a promising future in the therapeutic intervention of HCC.

The Application of UHPLC-HRMS for Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicine

UHPLC-HRMS (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry) is a new technique that unifies the application of UHPLC with HRMS. Because of the high sensitivity and good separation ability of UHPLC and the sensitivity of HRMS, this technique has been widely used for structure identification, quantitative determination, fingerprint analysis, and elucidation of the mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in recent years. This review mainly outlines the advantages of using UHPLC-HRMS and provides a survey of the research advances on UHPLC-HRMS for the quality control of TCMs.

Metabolic profile of exhaled breath condensate from the pneumonia patients

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is increasingly being used for disease diagnosis and environmental exposure assessment as a noninvasive method reducing the risk of exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of a new sample type of EBC in pneumonia by metabolomics and to explore differential metabolites and potential metabolic pathways.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A case-control study was performed at the Peking University Third Hospital from August to December 2020. C-MS/MS analyses were performed on EBC samples using a UHPLC system.

RESULTS

Totally 22 patients with pneumonia and 24 healthy controls were recruited. Using untargeted metabolomics based on LC-MS/MS analysis, 25 kinds of differential metabolites were found. Through a comprehensive analysis of the pathways in which the differential metabolites were located, the key pathway with the highest correlation with the difference of metabolites was taurine and hypotaurine metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

The study implicates that the hypotaurine/taurine metabolic pathway may play a role on the development of pneumonia through metabolism analysis on EBC and the 3-Sulfinoalanine may be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of pneumonia.

A pilot study optimizing metabolomic and lipidomic acquisition in serum for biomarker discovery in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background

The worldwide prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has stimulated work to identify biomarkers and develop effective treatments. Metabolomics is an emerging tool that has been widely applied to discover biomarkers and simultaneously uncover pathological mechanisms. Here, we aim to optimize metabolomic acquisition with the goal of obtaining a systemic metabolic profile to unravel the potential link between dysregulated metabolism and NAFLD.

Methods

We analyzed serum samples collected from healthy subjects (n = 8) and NAFLD patients (n = 8) via an integrative analytical workflow using two orthogonal separation modes with T3 and amide columns and two ionization polarity modes on a UPLC-ESI-Q/TOF. Data dependent acquisition was employed for data acquisition. Differentially expressed metabolites and lipids were identified by comparing the collected metabolic and lipidomic profiles between the healthy subjects and NAFLD patients.

Results

The integrative LC-MS/MS analytical workflow employed here features an improved coverage of metabolites and lipids, which leads to the identification of 20 potential biomarkers of NAFLD, including lipids, acylcarnitines, and organic acids.

Conclusions

This pilot study has identified potential biomarkers for NAFLD and revealed corresponding dysregulated metabolic pathways related to NAFLD's occurrence and progression, establishing a molecular basis for NAFLD diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

Hepatotoxicity of cantharidin is associated with the altered bile acid metabolism

Cantharidin (CTD) is an effective antitumor agent. However, it exhibits significant hepatotoxicity, the mechanism of which remains unclear. In this study, biochemical and histopathological analyses complemented with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS)-based targeted metabolomic analysis of bile acids (BAs) were employed to investigate CTD-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sixteen male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and CTD (1.0 mg/kg) groups. Serum and liver samples were collected after 28 days of intervention. Biochemical, histopathological, and BA metabolomic analyses were performed for all samples. Further, the key biomarkers of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity were identified via multivariate and metabolic pathway analyses. In addition, metabolite-gene-enzyme network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were used to identify the signaling pathways related to CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. The results revealed significantly increased levels of biochemical indices (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bile acid). Histopathological analysis revealed that the hepatocytes were damaged. Further, 20 endogenous BAs were quantitated via UHPLC-MS/MS, and multivariate and metabolic pathway analyses of BAs revealed that hyocholic acid, cholic acid, and chenodeoxycholic acid were the key biomarkers of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. Meanwhile, primary and secondary BA biosynthesis and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were found to be associated with the mechanism by which CTD induced hepatotoxicity in rats. This study provides useful insights for research on the mechanism of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity.

The Application of Metabolomics in Forensic Science with Focus on Forensic Toxicology and Time-of-Death Estimation

Recently, the diagnostic methods used by scientists in forensic examinations have enormously expanded. Metabolomics provides an important contribution to analytical method development. The main purpose of this review was to investigate and summarize the most recent applications of metabolomics in forensic science. The primary research method was an extensive review of available international literature in PubMed. The keywords “forensic” and “metabolomics” were used as search criteria for the PubMed database scan. Most authors emphasized the analysis of different biological sample types using chromatography methods. The presented review is a summary of recently published implementations of metabolomics in forensic science and types of biological material used and techniques applied. Possible opportunities for valuable metabolomics’ applications are discussed to emphasize the essential necessities resulting in numerous nontargeted metabolomics’ assays.

Periodontal health related-inflammatory and metabolic profiles of patients with end-stage renal disease: potential strategy for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine

Objectives

To compare the periodontal health related–inflammatory and metabolic differences between patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and healthy controls (HC), and to identify potential biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and serum of ESRD patients for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM).

Methods

Patients with ESRD (ESRD group; n = 52) and healthy controls (HC group; n = 44) were recruited. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded. The differential metabolites in the GCF and serum were identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Inflammatory markers including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also assessed.

Results

In the ESRD group, IL-8 and CRP were significantly higher in GCF, whereas IL-6 and CRP were significantly higher in serum, compared with HC group (all P < 0.05). In the case of GCF, taurine levels were positively correlated with IL-8 levels in both groups (all P < 0.05). In the case of serum, l-phenylalanine and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid levels were positively correlated with CRP levels in both groups (all P < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were observed between metabolites (including pseudouridine, l-phenylalanine, and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) and IL-6 levels only in ESRD group.

Conclusions

IL-8 and CRP are potential inflammatory makers that reflect the periodontal health of ESRD individual, which may be considered the valuable predictive diagnostics in the agreement with PPPM philosophy. Besides, metabolites of taurine in GCF as well as l-phenylalanine and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid in serum are possible biomarkers correlated with inflammatory markers. All these biomarkers may also be highly recommended as a novel predictive/diagnostic tool for the assessment of inflammatory status from the perspectives of PPPM in view of susceptible population and individual screening.

Protective mechanism of Astragalus Polysaccharides against Cantharidin-induced liver injury determined in vivo by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry metabolomics

Cantharidin (CTD) is a promising anticancer drug; however, its dosage is limited by hepatotoxicity. We previously showed that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) effectively improved chemical liver injury. In this study, we established a CTD-induced subacute liver injury mouse model and examined the effects of APS on weight, liver indexes, histopathology, serum biochemical indexes and liver metabolism. Compared with the control group, mice in the CTD model group had obvious liver damage, which was partially prevented by APS. Metabolomics demonstrated that CTD caused liver damage mainly by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism, ABC transporter pathways and choline metabolism in cancer in vivo. APS regulated primary bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism, thus decreasing the liver damage caused by CTD. This study revealed the protective mechanism of APS against CTD-induced liver injury from the perspective of metabolomics. The results provide an important basis for analysing the mechanism of CTD-induced liver toxicity and for assessing clinical treatment options to reduce CTD liver toxicity.

Antithrombotic and anticoagulant effects of a novel protein isolated from the venom of the Deinagkistrodon acutus snake

The venom of the Deinagkistrodon acutus snake is composed of numerous bioactive proteins and peptides. In this study, we report the antithrombotic and anticoagulant activities of one of such proteins, herein known as SLPC. This novel protein was isolated and purified via multi-gel chromatography. Its amino acid sequence, structure and function were then determined. This protein was found to exhibit defibration, anticoagulation and general antithrombotic effects based on the results of both in vitro and in vivo studies. Based on same studies, it was found to cleave the α, β, γ chains of fibrinogen and generally improved antiplatelet aggregation and blood rheology. A metabolomic insight of the antithrombotic effects of SLPC was found to be mainly linked to perturbations in the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, glycerophospholipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and other metabolic pathways. In summary, the novel protein SLPC, elicits its antithrombotic effects via degradation of fibrinogen and regulation of various thrombogenic factors in multiple metabolic pathways.

Serum metabolomic analysis of the anti-diabetic effect of Ginseng berry in type II diabetic rats based on ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Serum metabolomic method was used to investigated the anti-diabetic effects and mechanism of Ginseng berry (GB) on high-fat diet combined streptozotocin induced type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS). Serum samples from control group, T2DM group, metformin treatment group, and GB ginsenoside treatment group rats were collected after intervention. The biochemical parameters of serum were firstly analyzed. Then metabolomic studies based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS and multivariate statistical analysis were performed for the pattern recognition and characteristic metabolites identification. The differential metabolites were analyzed by KEGG metabolic pathway to study the potential mechanism. The treatment of GB ginsenoside significantly reduced the blood glucose level, increased the content of serum SOD, and reduced the content of malondialdehyde. Respectively 16, 9, and 24 differential metabolites were found and identified in T2DM compared to control group, metformin compared to T2DM group and GB compared to T2DM group. Metabolic pathways analysis indicated that GB ginsenoside regulated bile acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, glucuronization to play a role in the treatment of T2DM. This study verified the anti-diabetic and anti-oxidation effects of ginseng berry, elaborated that GB regulated the secretion of bile acids, activated GLP-1 pathway, increased the secretion of insulin, promoted the hydrolysis of fat and triglyceride, inhibited the activity of 5α - reductase, reduced weight and insulin resistance, so as to improved and treated T2DM, and laid the foundation for the further development and utilization.

Study on the mechanism of cantharidin-induced hepatotoxicity in rat using serum and liver metabolomics combined with conventional pathology methods

Cantharidin (CTD), a compound secreted from Mylabris species, exhibits strong antitumor properties; however, hepatotoxicity restricts its clinical application. The mechanism by which CTD induces toxicity remains unclear. In the present study, the hepatotoxicity of CTD in the rat was investigated using a metabolomic approach combined with conventional pathology methods. A total of 30 rats were intragastrically treated with two doses of CTD (0.75 and 1.5 mg/kg) for 15 days to evaluate hepatotoxicity. Serum and liver samples were collected for biochemical dynamics analyses, histopathological examination and metabolomic analysis. It was found that liver index and serum biochemical indices were significantly increased. Furthermore, the pathology results showed that hepatocytes and subcellular organelles were damaged. Metabolomics analysis found 4 biomarkers in serum and 15 in the liver that were associated with CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. In addition, these were responsible for CTD hepatotoxicity by glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. In conclusion, conventional pathology and metabolomics for exploring hepatotoxicity can provide useful information about the safety and potential risks of CTD.