1.Exploring Effect of Levo-tetrahydropalmatine on Spinal Metabolic Profiles of Rats with Chronic Pain Based on Widely-targeted Metabolomics
Dan WU ; Junhong ZHANG ; Lu FU ; Yute ZHONG ; Ping WANG ; Haiyu XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(23):187-194
ObjectiveTo elucidate the underlying mechanism of the efficacy of Levo-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP) in alleviating chronic pain and identify the key metabolites and metabolic pathways for l-THP regulation. MethodA classical chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model was built in rats’ bodies, and the pain intensity was evaluated by detecting the mechanical withdrawal threshold. On the sixth day after surgery, oral administration of l-THP (64 mg·kg-1) and positive control drug pregabalin (Pre, 30 mg·kg-1) was performed on rats. After the last administration following consecutive five times of administration, ipsilateral spinal cord tissues were collected for widely-targeted metabonomics, with eight rats in each group. Differential metabolites (DEMs) were identified according to the standard of VIP>1.0 and P<0.05, and functional enrichment and interaction analyses of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed to obtain the key metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with the analgesic effects of l-THP. ResultIn behavioral science, administration of both l-THP and Pre significantly improved mechanical hyperalgesia in CCI rats (P<0.01), thus mitigating pain. Metabonomic analysis results revealed that l-THP administration corrected the aberrant metabolic profile in the spinal cord of CCI rats. Meanwhile, 53 DEMs were called back, including several classical pain biomarkers such as sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), acetylcholine, and glutamate. Functional enrichment analysis of the DEMs indicated the involvement of metabolic pathways such as ferroptosis, autophagy, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, phospholipase D and cAMP-related signaling pathways, glutathione metabolism, and cofactor biosynthesis in mediating the effects of l-THP on the metabolic profile of the spinal cord. Further analyses on the relative metabolite abundance and metabolic pathways indicated that by significantly decreasing the relative levels of glutamate (P<0.01) and glycine (P<0.01) in the spinal cord, l-THP can promote the synthesis of reduced glutathione (GSH) and increase the ratio of reduced/oxidized GSH (P<0.05). Additionally, it can relieve oxidative stress in the spinal cord of CCI rats and significantly reduce the acetyl-CoA level (P<0.01) to finally inhibit ferroptosis occurrence. Conclusionl-THP may exert analgesic effects by regulating multiple metabolic pathways including GSH metabolism, ferroptosis, cofactor biosynthesis, and amino acid synthesis to correct the aberrant metabolic profile in the spinal cord of CCI rats. Ferroptosis and GSH metabolism may be the key pathways for l-THP regulation, with glutamate, glycine, glutathione, and acetyl-CoA as the key metabolites.
2.Underlying Mechanisms of Huashi Baidu Prescription Against Myocardial Injury Based on "Transcriptome-Putative Target-Phenotype Gene" Interactions
Weijie LI ; Yute ZHONG ; Tian GONG ; Cong XIA ; Ping WANG ; Lijuan SONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(22):69-78
ObjectiveTo systematically explore the underlying mechanisms of Huashi Baidu prescription (HBP) against myocardial injury through a multidimensional network analysis of "transcriptome-putative target-phenotype gene". MethodPutative targets of compounds in HBP were predicted using the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM 2.0,
3.Analysis on Pharmacodynamic Material Basis and Mechanism of Famous Classical Formula Renshen Wuweizi Tang in Treatment of Spleen and Lung Qi Deficiency Syndrome
Shanshan LI ; Yute ZHONG ; Xiaomei XIANG ; Wei KANG ; Shufan ZHOU ; Ping WANG ; Haiyu XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):31-39
ObjectiveBased on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS), network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques, to explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of Renshen Wuweizi Tang in treating spleen-lung Qi deficiency syndrome. MethodsThe chemical components in the decoction of Renshen Wuweizi Tang were systematically characterized and identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, and network pharmacology was used to screen potential active ingredients, collect component targets and gene sets related to spleen-lung Qi deficiency syndrome, and obtain protein interaction relationships through STRING. Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to construct a "formula-syndrome" association network and calculate topological feature values. Gene ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed on core genes to explore potential pharmacodynamic links, the average shortest path between the formula-drug target network and the pharmacodynamic link gene network was calculated to discover dominant pharmacodynamic links, and MCODE plugin was used to identify core gene clusters from the dominant pharmacodynamic links, which were validated using Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO), and molecular docking was performed between key components and core targets. ResultsOne hundred and thirty-seven components were identified in the negative ion mode, and eighty components were identified in the positive ion mode. After deduplication, a total of 185 components were identified, mainly composed of triterpenoid saponins(49) and flavonoids(54). Based on the "formula-syndrome" correlation network analysis, energy metabolism was determined to be the dominant pharmacodynamic link of Renshen Wuweizi Tang in the treatment of spleen-lung Qi deficiency syndrome. The results of molecular docking showed that 7 components(adenosine, atractylenolide Ⅱ, atractylenolide Ⅲ, ginsenoside Rg1, glycyrrhizin B2, glycyrrhizin E2 and campesterol) from 4 medicinal materials(Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Poria) in this formula might regulate energy metabolism by acting on 6 targets, namely cyclic adenosine monophosphate-response element binding protein 1(CREB1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH), interleukin(IL)-6, nuclear transcription factor(NF)-κB1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α(PPARα), and tumor necrosis factor(TNF), thus improving the symptoms of diseases related to spleen-lung Qi deficiency syndrome. ConclusionThis study established a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS for rapid characterization and identification of chemical components in the decoction of Renshen Wuweizi Tang, expanding the understanding of the material composition of this formula, and found that 7 components might act on the key advantageous pharmacodynamic link "energy metabolism" through 6 targets to improve the related symptoms of spleen-lung Qi deficiency syndrome. This can provide a reference for the subsequent exploration of the material benchmark and mechanism of the famous classical formula.