ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo characterize the efficacy components of Guizhi Jia Gegentang（GGT） in intervening influenza virus pneumonia by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS）. MethodBALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group and GGT group（36 g·kg-1·d-1） with six mice in each group. GGT group was continuously administered GGT extract for 5 d， while the normal group was administered an equal amount of ultrapure water. Serum and lung tissue were collected after administration， and UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS was used to characterize the prototypical and metabolic components of GGT in serum and lung tissue of mice. The components existed simultaneously in the serum and lung tissue of mice from the GGT group were defined as its functional components， and the targets of efficacy components were searched by SwissTargetPrediction database， and GeneCards database was used to query the target of influenza virus pneumonia， and then the intersection was taken to obtain potential targets of GGT for intervening in the disease. Protein-protein interaction（PPI） network analysis of potential targets was performed by STRING database， and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis on potential targets was performed by Metascape. ResultA total of 29 prototypical components and 28 metabolic components of GGT were detected in the drug-containing serum of mice， of which 11 prototypical components and 4 metabolic components were detected in the lung tissue of mice. The main metabolic pathways included reduction， hydroxylation， methylation， glucuronidation and sulfation. The results of PPI network and KEGG analysis showed that these functional components may act through their effects on targets such as albumin（ALB）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， steroid receptor coactivator（SRC）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）， nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB and adhesion junction. ConclusionThe 11 prototypical components and 4 metabolites present simultaneously in the drug-containing serum and lung tissue of mice may be the potential therapeutic components of GGT in interfering with influenza viral pneumonia， and act through interfering with inflammatory metabolic pathways. This study can provide a reference for the mechanism study of GGT in the treatment of influenza viral pneumonia.