Metabonomic Analysis of the Therapeutic Effects of Chinese Medicine Sanqi Oral Solution on Rats With Exhaustive Exercise

Spatial metabolomics method to reveal differential metabolomes in microregions of Panax quinquefolius roots by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole/time of flight-mass spectrometry and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging

Panax quinquefolius is a natural homology medicine and food that is rich in bioactive ingredients, such as ginsenosides and polysaccharides. The combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole/time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) was used for the first time in a spatial metabolomics analysis to comprehensively evaluate the differential components in different microregions of P. quinquefolius. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and DESI-MSI combined with principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis were used to screen differential metabolites. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and DESI-MSI screened 27 and 23 differential metabolites, respectively, among which 15 differential metabolites were identified by both methods. It was found that some components, such as ginsenoside Rg1 and malonyl-ginsenoside Rc, were mainly distributed in P of the transverse slice of P. quinquefolius roots, while ginsenoside Ro and malonyl-ginsenoside Rd were mainly distributed in C. The methods and results of this study could be used to understand the precise localization, biosynthesis, and biological functions of special metabolites in P. quinquefolius.

Sanqi Qushi Granule Alleviates Proteinuria and Podocyte Damage in NS Rat: A Network Pharmacology Study and in vivo Experimental Validation

Background

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) and its numerous complications remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Sanqi Qushi granule (SQG) is clinically effective in NS. However, its potential mechanisms have yet to be elucidated.

Methods

A network pharmacology approach was employed in this study. Based on oral bioavailability and drug-likeness, potential active ingredients were picked out. After acquiring overlapping targets for drug genes and disease-related genes, a component-target-disease network and protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI) were constructed using Cytoscape, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Adriamycin was injected into adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats via the tail vein to establish NS model. Kidney histology, 24-hr urinary protein level, creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) level were assessed. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL staining were applied.

Results

In total, 144 latent targets in SQG acting on NS were screened by a network pharmacology study, containing AKT, Bax, and Bcl-2. KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that PI3K/AKT pathway was enriched primarily. In vivo validation results revealed that SQG intervention ameliorated urine protein level and podocyte lesions in the NS model. Moreover, SQG therapy significantly inhibited renal cells apoptosis and decreased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, we found that Caspase-3 regulated the PI3K/AKT pathway in NS rats, which mediated the anti-apoptosis effect.

Conclusion

By combining network pharmacology with experimental verification in vivo, this work confirmed the treatment efficacy of SQG for NS. SQG protected podocyte from injury and inhibited kidney apoptosis in NS rats via the PI3K/AKT pathway at least partially.

Bupi Yishen formula attenuates kidney injury in 5/6 nephrectomized rats via the tryptophan-kynurenic acid-aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway

BACKGROUND

Bupi Yishen Formula (BYF), a patent traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation, has been used in the clinical treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the mechanism of action of BYF has not been fully elucidated.

METHOD

To investigate the variation in the metabolic profile in response to BYF treatment in a rat model of 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx), rats in the treatment groups received low- or high-dose BYF. At the end of the study, serum and kidney samples were collected for biochemical, pathological, and western blotting analysis. Metabolic changes in serum were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

The results showed that BYF treatment could reduce kidney injury, inhibit inflammation and improve renal function in a dose-dependent manner. In total, 405 and 195 metabolites were identified in negative and positive ion modes, respectively. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis of differential metabolites based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database identified 35 metabolic pathways, 3 of which were related to tryptophan metabolism. High-dose BYF reduced the level of kynurenic acid (KA) by more than 50%, while increasing melatonin 25-fold and indole-3-acetic acid twofold. Expression levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), Cyp1A1, and CyP1B1 were significantly reduced in the kidney tissue of rats with high-dose BYF, compared to 5/6 Nx rats.

CONCLUSION

BYF has a reno-protective effect against 5/6 Nx-induced CKD, which may be mediated via inhibition of the tryptophan-KA-AhR pathway.

Sanqi Oral Solution Ameliorates Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Reducing Apoptosis and Enhancing Autophagy: Involvement of ERK/mTOR Pathways

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant health problem with high morbidity and mortality, yet prophylaxis strategies and effective drugs are limited. Sanqi oral solution (SQ) is a formulated medicine widely used in clinical settings to treat various renal diseases via enriching qi and activating blood circulation while its role on I/R-AKI remains unclear. Herein, by establishing rat I/R-AKI models, we intended to investigate the effect of SQ on the prevention of I/R-AKI and explore its underlying mechanisms. We demonstrated that SQ treatment significantly attenuated renal dysfunction of I/R-AKI, alleviated histological damages, inhibited renal apoptosis, and enhanced autophagy. Further investigation proved that SQ could significantly inhibit the activation of ERK and mTOR signaling pathways. Moreover, its renoprotective effect can be abolished by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Collectively, our results suggest that SQ exerts renoprotective effects on renal I/R injury via reducing apoptosis and enhancing autophagy, which are associated with regulating ERK/mTOR pathways.