Research on the mechanism of regulating spleen-deficient obesity in rats by bawei guben huashi jiangzhi decoction based on multi-omics analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Bawei Guben Huashi Jiangzhi Decoction (BGHJ), a traditional Chinese compound formula, comprises eight Chinese medicinal herbs: Codonopsis Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Cassiae Semen, Lysimachiae Herba, Edgeworthiae Gardner Flos, Oryzae Semen cum Monasco, Nelumbinis Folium, and Alismatis Rhizoma. It has the therapeutic effects of improving digestive and absorptive functions of the gastrointestinal tract, reducing cholesterol levels, and helping to lose weight. Therefore, BGHJ is mainly used to treat spleen-deficient obesity (SDO) clinically.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to examine the efficacy and mechanism of BGHJ in a model of SDO in rats, as well as the potentially involved constituents entering the blood and differential metabolites.

METHODS

The SDO rat model was replicated utilizing a high-fat and high-sugar diet in conjunction with exhaustive swimming. Subsequently, the rats were subjected to a six-week intervention comprising varying dosages of BGHJ and a positive control, orlistat. To evaluate the efficacy of BGHJ on SDO model rats, we first measured the rats' body weight, body surface temperature, spleen index, as well as biochemical indicators in the serum and colon, and then assessed the pathological state of the colon and liver. Afterward, we analyzed the 16S rDNA gut microbiota, non-targeted serum metabolomics, and serum pharmacology to study the main active components of BGHJ and its action mechanism against SDO model rats. In addition, we constructed a network diagram for overall visualization and analysis, and experimentally verified the predicted results. Finally, we used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect the gene expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) indicators in rat hypothalamic neurons. We quantitatively targeted the detection of neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (Ach), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and noradrenaline (NA) in rat hypothalamus.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that all dosage regimens of BGHJ exhibited the capacity to moderately modulate parameters including body weight, surface temperature, spleen index, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CCK), 5-HT, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 17 (IL-17), while concurrently reducing hepatic lipid droplet deposition and restoring intestinal integrity. Subsequent experimental results showed that we successfully identified 27 blood components of BGHJ and identified 52 differential metabolites in SDO model rats. At the same time, the experiment proved that BGHJ could effectively inhibit the metabolic pathway of arachidonic acid. In addition, BGHJ can also restore the intestinal microbiota composition of SDO model rats. Finally, we also found that BGHJ could regulate the expression of hypothalamic neurons and neurotransmitters.

CONCLUSIONS

The research revealed the main active ingredients of BGHJ and its mechanism against SDO model rats through gut microbiota, non-target serum metabolomics, and serum drug chemistry.

Solar/periodate-triggered rapid inactivation of Microcystis aeruginosa by interrupting the Calvin-Benson cycle

Frequent outbreak of cyanobacteria is a serious problem for drinking water treatment. The microcystins released from Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) could cause irreversible damage to human health. Catalyst-free solar/periodate (PI) system has recently presented great potential for bacterial inactivation, whereas the application potential and underlying mechanisms of the effective M. aeruginosa control remain unclear. Our work delineated the key role of ROS that inactivating/harmless disposing M. aeruginosa in the simulated sunlight (SSL)/PI system. Singlet oxygen may specifically cause DNA damage but maintain membrane integrity, preventing the risk of microcystins leakage. The SSL/PI 300 μM system could also effectively inhibit M. aeruginosa recovery for >7 days and completely degrade microcystin-LR (50.0 μg/L) within 30 min. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis suggested that the SSL/PI system inactivated M. aeruginosa mainly by interrupting the Calvin-Benson cycle, which damaged the metabolic flux of glycolysis and its downstream pathways such as the oxidative PPP pathway and glutathione metabolism. Furthermore, the activated PI system exhibited an even better algal inhibition under natural sunlight irradiation, evidenced by the seriously damaged cell membrane of M. aeruginosa. Overall, this study reported the comprehensive mechanisms of algal control and application potentials of solar/PI systems. The findings facilitated the development of emerging algicidal technology and its application in controlling environmental harmful algae.

Linking chemical exposure and fish metabolome: Discovering new biomarkers of environmental exposure of Argyrosomus regius to the antidepressant venlafaxine

In this study, a non-target metabolomic approach was used to investigate changes in the metabolome of juvenile meagre (Argyrosomus regius) exposed to venlafaxine (20 µg/L). A total of 24, 22 and 8 endogenous metabolites tentatively identified in liver, brain and plasma, respectively, were significantly changed in venlafaxine exposed meagre, showing tissue-dependent variations in the metabolic profile. The amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine, which are related to the synthesis, availability, and expression of neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine), showed to be dysregulated by venlafaxine exposure. A high impact was observed in fish brain metabolome that showed a trend of up-regulation for most of the tentatively identified metabolites. In conclusion, the identification of possible biomarkers of exposure in fish metabolome to environmental stressors such as venlafaxine is crucial to assess early signal changes at molecular level, enabling the prevention of deleterious effects at the organism and population levels.

New insights into the effect of bisphenol AF exposure on maternal mammary glands at various stages of gestation in mice

Bisphenol AF (BPAF) is the most estrogenic compound among BPA analogs. Mammary glands (MDs) are special organs that undergo repeated cycles of structural development, metabolism, and functional differentiation. Gestation is a sensitive window for MDs. In the present study, plug-positive CD-1 mice were exposed to vehicle (Veh) or 300 μg/kg BPAF through oral gavage every second day during gestation, and maternal MDs were collected from different developmental windows at 9.5, 13.5, and 18.5 d of gestation (gestation day [GD]9.5, GD13.5 and GD18.5). The results showed that gestational BPAF exposure induced a significantly elevated MD density at GD18.5. Non-target metabolomics analysis was used to screen for tyrosine, valine, ornithine, proline, threonine, phenylalanine and asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) amino acids, which changed significantly at all time points. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of genes related to these amino acids also changed significantly. Additionally, amino acid levels in BPAF-treated MGs at GD18.5 were related to the serum ammonia concentration of the corresponding offspring. These results provide a comprehensive view of the adverse effects of BPAF exposure during gestation on the maternal MG structure and function, which may affect milk components during lactation. Moreover, higher amino acids content may lead to amino acid imbalance or hyperammonemia in newborns.

Integration of non-target metabolomics and sensory analysis unravels vegetable plant metabolite signatures associated with sensory quality: A case study using dill (Anethum graveolens)

Using dill (Anethum graveolens L.) as a model herb, we reveal novel associations between metabolite profile and sensory quality, by integrating non-target metabolomics with sensory data. Low night temperatures and exposure to UV-enriched light was used to modulate plant metabolism, thereby improving sensory quality. Plant age is a crucial factor associated with accumulation of dill ether and α-phellandrene, volatile compounds associated with dill flavour. However, sensory analysis showed that neither of these compounds has any strong association with dill taste. Rather, amino acids alanine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, valine, and leucine increased in samples exposed to eustress and were positively associated with dill and sour taste. Increases in amino acids and organic acids changed the taste from lemon/grass to a more bitter/pungent dill-related taste. Our procedure reveals a novel approach to establish links between effects of eustressors on sensory quality and may be applicable to a broad range of crops.