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Liu W, Zhang T, Hu Z, Li X, Wang F, Peng R. Metabolomics study of graphene nuangong acupoint plaster for primary dysmenorrhea. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25268. [PMID: 38327403 PMCID: PMC10847914 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological disease with typical clinical symptoms and diverse treatment methods. Acupoint patch therapy is one of the traditional external treatments of traditional Chinese medicine, with a long history, and has been widely used in the treatment of many diseases in China. Graphene nuangong acupoint plaster (GNGAP) developed based on traditional acupoints and new materials have been used in the clinical treatment of primary dysmenorrhea, and satisfactory therapeutic effects have been achieved. However, the underlying mechanisms of GNGAP still need further investigation. In this study, we used estradiol benzoate combined with oxytocin intraperitoneally to establish dysmenorrhea model rats, and observed the torsion response, uterine organ coefficients, prostaglandin levels and metabolite changes of rats with dysmenorrhea model after the intervention of GNGAP, to elucidate the mechanism of the effect of GNGAP. Compared with normal rats, the dysmenorrhea model rats exhibited increased writhing response and latency time, increased uterine organ coefficient, and significant changes in 79 metabolites. Twenty-three significantly enriched pathways were discovered, including amino acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and ovarian steroidogenesis, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of primary dysmenorrhea. Compared with the model group, the torsion response, latency time and uterine organ coefficient of rats in the acupoint patch group were significantly improved, and nine uterine metabolites were significantly altered, among which metabolites such as 4-pyridoxic acid, d-glucarate and Phenol were identified as potential biomarkers for the therapeutic effects of GNGAP. Vitamin B6 metabolism, Ascorbate and aldarate metabolism and Tyrosine metabolism were enriched in nine metabolic pathways. These findings contribute to the screening study of potential pathological metabolic pathways in primary dysmenorrhea. Additionally, they reveal the biological effects of GNGAP in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea at the metabolite level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Liu
- College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, 434020, China
| | - Zhaoduan Hu
- College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Xin Li
- College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Fuchun Wang
- Department of Acupuncture, The Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Rui Peng
- College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China
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Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Mu D, Lu Y, Chen W, Zhang Y, Zhang R, Qin Y, Yuan J, Pan L, Tang Q. Selection of Reference Genes in Evodia rutaecarpa var. officinalis and Expression Patterns of Genes Involved in Its Limonin Biosynthesis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3197. [PMID: 37765365 PMCID: PMC10534417 DOI: 10.3390/plants12183197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant known for its therapeutic effects, which encompass the promotion of digestion, the dispelling of cold, the alleviation of pain, and the exhibition of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The principal active component of this plant, limonin, is a potent triterpene compound with notable pharmacological activities. Despite its significance, the complete biosynthesis pathway of limonin in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis remains incompletely understood, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unexplored. The main purpose of this study was to screen the reference genes suitable for expression analysis in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis, calculate the expression patterns of the genes in the limonin biosynthesis pathway, and identify the relevant enzyme genes related to limonin biosynthesis. The reference genes play a pivotal role in establishing reliable reference standards for normalizing the gene expression data, thereby ensuring precision and credibility in the biological research outcomes. In order to identify the optimal reference genes and gene expression patterns across the diverse tissues (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, and flower buds) and developmental stages (i.e., 17 July, 24 August, 1 September, and 24 October) of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis, LC-MS was used to analyze the limonin contents in distinct tissue samples and developmental stages, and qRT-PCR technology was employed to investigate the expression patterns of the ten reference genes and eighteen genes involved in limonin biosynthesis. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis that integrated three software tools (GeNorm ver. 3.5, NormFinder ver. 0.953 and BestKeeper ver. 1.0) and Delta Ct method alongside the RefFinder website, the best reference genes were selected. Through the research, we determined that Act1 and UBQ served as the preferred reference genes for normalizing gene expression during various fruit developmental stages, while Act1 and His3 were optimal for different tissues. Using Act1 and UBQ as the reference genes, and based on the different fruit developmental stages, qRT-PCR analysis was performed on the pathway genes selected from the "full-length transcriptome + expression profile + metabolome" data in the limonin biosynthesis pathway of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis. The findings indicated that there were consistent expression patterns of HMGCR, SQE, and CYP450 with fluctuations in the limonin contents, suggesting their potential involvement in the limonin biosynthesis of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis. This study lays the foundation for further research on the metabolic pathway of limonin in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis and provides reliable reference genes for other researchers to use for conducting expression analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Detian Mu
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ying Lu
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Wenqiang Chen
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Yao Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ruiying Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ya Qin
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China;
| | - Jianhua Yuan
- Changsha Hemao Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., Ningxiang County, Changsha 410609, China;
| | - Limei Pan
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China;
| | - Qi Tang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
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