ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of methylphenidate on urinary endogenous metabolites in children with ADHD, and to explore the mechanism of methylphenidate. Methods The metabolites of urine in 37 children with ADHD treated with methylphenidate before intervention (case 0 week group), intervention for 6 weeks (6 weeks group), intervention 12 weeks (12 weeks group, and 40 healthy subjects (control group) were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and analyzed by orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) to find the significant differences biomarkers. Results The urine metabolic profile of the control group, the 0 week group and the 12 week group showed obvious changes. The metabolic profile of the 0 week group and the control group was differentiated, and the 12 week group was away from the 0 week group, and closed to the control group. 24 significant differences metabolites were identified using commercially available metabolite libraries (such as the Wiley and NIST mass pools) and the standard metabolite library established in our laboratory. The levels of these metabolites were reversed to normal level due to methylphenidate intervention. Conclusion This study shows that methylphenidate has a good curative effect on children with ADHD. Its mechanism is related to the metabolic abnormalities of pyruvate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism. The possible mechanism of methylphenidate in the treatment of children with ADHD was revealed from the overall metabolic point of the body. Metabolomics reveals possible therapeutic mechanism of methylphenidate for children with ADHD from overall metabolism of the body.