Multiomics analysis of the effects of manure-borne doxycycline combined with oversized fiber microplastics on pak choi growth and the risk of antibiotic resistance gene transmission

In this study, oversized microplastics (OMPs) were intentionally introduced into soil containing manure-borne doxycycline (DOX). This strategic approach was used to systematically examine the effects of combined OMP and DOX pollution on the growth of pak choi, analyze alterations in soil environmental metabolites, and explore the potential migration of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results revealed a more pronounced impact of DOX than of OMPs. Slender-fiber OMPs (SF OMPs) had a more substantial influence on the growth of pak choi than did coarse-fiber OMPs (CF OMPs). Conversely, CF OMPs had a more significant effect on the migration of ARGs within the system. When DOX was combined with OMPs, the negative effects of DOX on pak choi growth were mitigated through the synthesis of indole through the adjustment of carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism in pak choi roots. In this process, Pseudohongiellaceae and Xanthomonadaceae were key bacteria. During the migration of ARGs, the potential host bacterium Limnobacter should be considered. Additionally, the majority of potential host bacteria in the pak choi endophytic environment were associated with tetG. This study provides insights into the intricate interplay among DOX, OMPs, ARGs, plant growth, soil metabolism, and the microbiome.

Hepatoprotective effects of peach gum polysaccharides against alcoholic liver injury: moderation of oxidative stress and promotion of lipid metabolism

Natural polysaccharides extracted from plants have received increasing attention due to their rich bioactivity. In our study, peach gum polysaccharides (PGPs) were extracted by water extraction-alcohol precipitation method. PGPs are typical pyranose polysaccharides with a mean molecular weight of 3.68 × 106 g/mol. The antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective capacity of PGPs were studied. In vitro, assays showed that PGPs scavenged DPPH, OH, and O2- in a dose-dependent manner. PGPs exhibited antioxidative properties against alcohol-induced HL7702 cells, as evidenced by the normalization of MDA, SOD, ROS, and GSH levels. To further elucidate the hepatoprotective mechanism of PGPs, we carried out in vivo experiments in male mice. PGPs exerted hepatoprotective effects in alcohol liver disease (ALD) mice by exerting antioxidant effects, decreasing the inflammatory response and modulating lipid metabolism. In addition, metabolomic analysis indicated that PGPs mainly regulate D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis to promote hepatic metabolism and maintain body functions. Overall, this study revealed that the hepatoprotective mechanism of PGPs against ALD might be associated with the regulation of oxidative stress and lipid metabolism.

Integration of metabolomics and network pharmacology for enhancing mechanism understanding and medication combination recommendation for diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy

With the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN), effective treatment is particularly important for the recovery of patients. However, the currently approved drugs are usually tailored to clinical symptoms and no mechanism-targeted drugs are available. In this study, the combination of metabolomics and network pharmacology was applied to provide reasonable medication combination regimens to meet the different clinical needs for the targeted treatment of DM and DN. An NMR-based metabolomic strategy was applied to identify the potential urinary biomarkers of DM or/and DN, while network pharmacology was used to identify the therapy targets of DM and DN by intersecting the targets of diseases and currently approved drugs. According to the enriched signaling pathways using the potential biomarkers and the therapy targets, the specific medication combinations were recommended for the specific clinical demands in terms of hypoglycemic, hypertensive, and/or lipid-lowering. For DM, 17 potential urinary biomarkers and 12 disease-related signaling pathways were identified, and 34 combined medication regimens related to hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia, and hypertension, and hypoglycemia, hypertension, and lipid-lowering were administered. For DN, 22 potential urinary biomarkers and 12 disease-related signaling pathways were identified, and 21 combined medication regimens related to hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia, and hypertension were proposed. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding ability, docking sites, and structure of the drug molecules to target proteins. Moreover, an integrated biological information network of the drug-target-metabolite-signaling pathways was constructed to provide insights into the underlined mechanism of DM and DN as well as clinical combination therapy.

Blood pressure and urine metabolite changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats treated with leaf extract of Ficus deltoidea var angustifolia

Ficus deltoidea var angustifolia (FD-A) reduces blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) but the mechanism remains unknown. Changes in urine metabolites following FD-A treatment in SHR were, therefore, examined to identify the mechanism of its antihypertensive action. Male SHR were given either FD-A (1000 mg kg^-1 day^-1) or losartan (10 mg kg^-1 day^-1) or 0.5 mL of ethanolic-water (control) daily for 4 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured every week and urine spectra data acquisition, on urine collected after four weeks of treatment, were compared using multivariate data analysis. SBP in FD-A and losartan treated rats was significantly lower than that in the controls after four weeks of treatment. Urine spectra analysis revealed 24 potential biomarkers with variable importance projections (VIP) above 0.5. These included creatine, hippurate, benzoate, trimethylamine N-oxide, taurine, dimethylamine, homocysteine, allantoin, methylamine, n-phenylacetylglycine, guanidinoacetate, creatinine, lactate, glucarate, kynurenine, ethanolamine, betaine, 3-hydroxybutyrate, glycine, lysine, glutamine, 2-hydroxyphenylacetate, 3-indoxylsulfate and sarcosine. From the profile of these metabolites, it seems that FD-A affects urinary levels of metabolites like taurine, hypotaurine, glycine, serine, threonine, alanine, aspartate and glutamine. Alterations in these and the pathways involved in their metabolism might underlie the molecular mechanism of its antihypertensive action.

Effects of exposure to prothioconazole and its metabolite prothioconazole-desthio on oxidative stress and metabolic profiles of liver and kidney tissues in male mice

Prothioconazole (PTC), a popular agricultural fungicide, and its main metabolite prothioconazole-desthio (PTCd) are receiving great attention due to their toxicological effects in the non-target organisms. This study investigated their dosage-dependent (1 and 5 mg/kg BW/day) toxicological effects on oxidative stress and metabolic profiles of liver and kidney tissues using male mice. PTC and PTCd significantly inhibited the growth phenotype including body weights gain, liver and kidney indices. Furthermore, these effects were deeply investigated using the biomarkers of oxidative stress, and metabolomics. Notably, these effects were dose and tissue-dependent. Specifically, the more serious impacts involving oxidative stress and metabolic disorders were observed in the high concentration treatment groups. Also, the liver tissue was more severely affected than the kidney tissue. Lastly, the change in oxidative stress biomarkers and metabolomics profile revealed that PTCd induced more severe toxic effects than the parent compound PTC. In brief, these results indicate that exposure to PTC and PTCd could cause potential health risks in mammals.