Narrow Results

This study describes the metabonomics of fevers in animal models and the therapeutic effects of Rhizoma coptidis extract (RCE) on them. The rat urinary samples were analyzed by UPLC/ ESI–Q-TOF/MS, combined with principal component analysis (PCA). Nine ions were chosen to characterize the similarities and differences in the responses to fever. The ion at m/z 206.0278 was unambiguously identified to be xanthurenic acid. This study demonstrated that the metabonomic approach can readily distinguish between febrile and healthy individuals. This data support the contention that the metabonomic approach represents a promising new technology for the development of rapid-throughput in vivo fever screening. Furthermore, this approach can detect the interfering effects of RCE. This investigation has led the authors to believe that metabonomics is a valid approach for explaining the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine on fevers.

Acute gouty arthritis is a common inflammation model with multiple pathogenic mechanisms seen in clinical practice, for which acupuncture may potentially be an alternative therapy. To investigate the effect of acupuncture on acute gouty arthritis and search for its mechanism, a metabonomic method was developed in this investigation. Acute gouty arthritis model rats were induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. The urine and plasma samples were collected at several time points and the endogenous metabolites were analyzed by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Data were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) analysis to compare metabolic profiles of MSU crystal-induced acute gouty arthritis rats with MSU crystal-induced acute gouty arthritis, treated with acupuncture rats. The results showed that acupuncture could restore the metabolite network that disturbed by MSU administration. Our study indicates that UPLC-MS-based metabonomics can be used as a potential tool for the investigation of biological effect of acupuncture on acute gouty arthritis.

Alcohol liver disease is a major public health problem associated with lifestyle. Our recent study demonstrated that the roots of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) exert hepatoprotective effects against alcohol consumption. Considering that the leaves of Panax notoginseng saponins (LPNS) have similar chemical ingredients with PNS, increased attention should be given to the hepatoprotective effects of LPNS. In this study, a metabonomic approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) was developed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of LPNS on alcoholic fatty liver and elucidate the interaction mechanisms. Results showed that the ethanol-induced metabolic perturbations were restored after treatment with LPNS. Furthermore, 12 potential biomarkers (11 upregulated and 1 downregulated) were identified by V-plot and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis. Changes in the levels of these metabolites indicated that glycerophospholipid and fatty acid metabolism were disturbed in alcoholic fatty liver mouse. Our findings demonstrated that the UHPLC–QTOF/MS-based metabonomic method may provide a useful means for exploring biomarkers involved in alcoholic fatty liver and elucidating the therapeutic effects of LPNS. This work also showed that the metabonomic approach is a powerful and promising tool for the evaluation of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and elucidation of related mechanisms.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has an ancient history and a unique system that includes theory, methodology, prescription formulation and drugs. It has been widely used clinically for thousands of years in China. Therefore, TCM plays an important role in health care in China. This paper will briefly introduce about the present state of pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism research in TCM. This article includes five parts: (1) advances on pharmacokinetic studies of major active compounds from TCM; (2) characteristics on pharmacokinetic studies by combination of diagnosis (Zheng); and recipe (Fangji) and pharmacokinetics of TCM; (3) effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicine on cytochrome P450 enzymes; (4) key issues in the modernisation of TCM, which are the lack of standardisation of TCM products and the lack of scientifically accepted clinical efficacy and safety data. Thus, valid data from well-designed studies pertaining to these two areas are needed to modernise of TCM. The pharmacokinetics of TCM, including quantitatively describing the kinetic changes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination/ excretion of TCM, involving many theories and technologies, is a marginalised subject that focuses on pharmacology, chemistry of TCM, analytical chemistry, mathematics in one entity; and (5) challenges and opportunities in pharmacokinetic research of TCM. In fact, Fanji is different from chemical drug as it is a mixture of many clear and unclear single chemical entities. It integrates the theory, therapeutics and pharmacy of TCM. It has often used as tool to study the physiology, pathophysiology and action mechanism of TCM. So, it has important significance in exploring the mechanism of TCM and the scientific connotation, accelerating the improvement of new medicine and quality control and the globalisation of TCM. It needs mutual collaboration and the efforts of different experts in multiple subjects. Pharmacokinetic studies can be very helpful towards the modernisation of TCM.