Application of Metabonomics in Substance Abuse Toxicology Research / 法医学杂志

Abstrct: Metabonomics is a relative discipline that develops after genomics and proteomics, and it is an important component of systems biology. It uses high-throughput and high-sensitivity instruments to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of all metabolic components in specific biological samples under limited conditions and combines with multivariate statistics to analyze and process the data to obtain information about physiological, pathological or toxicological changes in organisms. In recent years, because of the complicated mechanism of substance abuse and the continuous emergence of new psychoactive substances, metabonomics is increasingly used in substance abuse research. Therefore, this article reviews the application of metabonomics of substance abuse in the toxic mechanism, the mechanism of addiction and the discovery of biomarkers.

Metabolomics-based comparative analysis of the effects of host and environment on Viscum coloratum metabolites and antioxidative activities / 药物分析学报

Viscum coloratum(Komn.)Nakai is a well-known medicinal hemiparasite widely distributed in Asia.The synthesis and accumulation of its metabolites are affected by both environmental factors and the host plants,while the latter of which is usually overlooked.The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of host and habitat on the metabolites in V.coloratum through multiple chemical and biological approaches.The metabolite profile of V.coloratum harvested from three different host plants in two habitats were determined by multiple chemical methods including high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet(HPLC-UV),gas chromatography-flame ionization detector(GC-FID)and ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTOF/MS).The differences in antioxidant efficacy of V.coloratum were determined based on multiple in vitro models.The multivariate statistical analysis and data fusion strategy were applied to analyze the dif-ferences in metabolite profile and antioxidant activity of V.coloratum.Results indicated that the metabolite profile obtained by various chemical approaches was simultaneously affected by host and environment factors,and the environment plays a key role.Meanwhile,three main differential metab-olites between two environment groups were identified.The results of antioxidant assay indicated that the environment has greater effects on the biological activity of V.coloratum than the host.Therefore,we conclude that the integration of various chemical and biological approaches combined with multivariate statistical and data fusion analysis,which can determine the influences of host plant and habitat on the metabolites,is a powerful strategy to control the quality of semi-parasitic herbal medicine.

Evaluation of a rabbit model of abdominal aorta atherosclerosis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the methods for non-invasive evaluation of a rabbit model of aorta atherosclerosis model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen male New Zealand rabbits (n=16) were randomized into the experimental group and control group and fed with high-cholesterol diet and normal diet after balloon injury in the abdominal aorta, respectively. Eight weeks later, pathological examination, angiography and surface ultrasonography were carried out to evaluate the plaques in the aorta.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After feeding with high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks, the weight, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly increased in the rabbits (P<0.001), and atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta was directly observed using angiography and surface ultrasonography. The rate of vasoconstriction showed significant difference between the experimental group and control group (t=5.921, P=0.000). In the experimental rabbits, the vasoconstriction increased obviously after drug stimulation with high lumen eccentricity index. A significant positive correlation was noted between the lumen eccentricity index and the rate of vasoconstriction (r=0.983, P=0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A rabbit model of abdominal aorta atherosclerosis can be established rapidly by balloon injury and high-cholesterol diet. The aortic wall thickness, lumen diameter and lumen eccentricity index determined by surface ultrasonography can be used to evaluate the validity of the model establishment and the nature of the plaque.</p>

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein enhances the expressions of SREBP-2 and HMGCR mRNA in macrophages derived from the monocytes of patients with acute coronary syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) on the expressions of sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) and hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) in the macrophages derived from monocytes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>LDL was oxidized by Cu2+ to prepare ox-LDL, and peripheral monocytes were isolated by density gradient centrifugation from patients with ACS diagnosed by coronary arteriography. Macrophages derived from the monocytes after phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation were treated with ox-LDL at the concentrations of 0, 20, 40, and 100 ng/ml, and the changes in the expressions of SREBP-2 and HMGCR were detected by real-time RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control cells, the macrophages treated with ox-LDL showed significantly increased expressions of SREBP-2 and HMGCR mRNA (P<0.05). In cells treated with ox-LDL, the expressions of SREBP-2 and HMGCR mRNA differed significantly with the dose administered (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Within a defined dose range, ox-LDL can dose-dependently enhance the expressions of SREBP-2 and HMGCR mRNA in macrophages from patients with ACS.</p>

Evaluation and comparison of various renal function tests in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To find out whether the levels of serum creatinine and urea,creatinine clearance rate and GFR estimated by using different equations correlate with the exact measurement of GFR with ~(99m)Tc-DTPA in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease.Methods Renal function was determined by using ~(99m)Tc-DTPA technique in 83 elderly patients aged 65—96 years.Blood and urine tests were done at the same time.Estimated clearance was determined by using the equations of Cockcroft-Gauh,MDRD(modification of diet in renal disease)predigestion and MDRD seventh,and the correlation coefficients between the above parameters and ~(99m)Tc-GFR were determined.Veracity for the diagnosis of renal dysfunction was calculated by using receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves.Results Cockcroft-Gault formula(r=0.833),MDRD predigestion formula(r=0.811), MDRD seventh formula(r=0.803),creatinine(r=-0.672),Ccr(r=0.632),urea(r=-0.612), and albumin(r=0.444)were correlated significantly with ~(99m)Tc-GFR in this sequence.If GFR 30, 40,50,60ml/min were defined respectively as renal impairment thresholds and areas under the curve (AUC)were compared,the best parameter for estimation of GFR was the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Then MDRD predigestion formula and MDRD seventh formula,creatinine and Ccr were less accurate in all different renal dysfunction thresholds.Conclusions The Cockcroft-Gault equation seems to be the best formula available for GFR estimation,the two equations of MDRD are the second,creatinine is the third,Ccr and urea are the last.