RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Epimedium 95％ethanol elution section (E95EE) on endogenous metabolism in the urine of normal rats using methods of metabonomics, and to study whether differential expressions of biomarkers can influence different systems of the body along with various body-fluids-cycle distribution. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group and E95EE group(10 rats per group). The rats of E95EE group were ig administered with E95EE 17.1 g · L-1, once daily, for 20 d, while those of normal control group were ig given an equal volume of saline. On the day of the final E95EE administration, the urine of 12 h was collected for analysis by UPLC-TOF/MS. RESULTS This study identified nine differential endogenous metabolites (3-sn-phos-phatidate, 5, 10-methenyltetrahydrofolate, l-1-phosphatidylethanolamine, 1-acyl-glycerone 3-phosphate, N-formimidoyl-l-glutamate, keto-oxaloacetate, sulfurous acid, formyl-N-acetyl-5-methoxykynurenamin and N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine) and six primary metabolic pathways [glycerophospholipid metabolism, vitamin A (retinol) metabolism, histidine degradation, tryptophan metabolism, acetyl-CoA biosynthesis from citrate, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis]. The possible role of protection of E95EE discovered in the nervous and cardiovascular systems was displayed by the decreased level of 3-sn-phosphatidate and an increased level of N-formimidoyl-l-glutamate. However, the possible toxicity of E95EE on neoplastic prevention was achieved by reducing the level of l-1-phosphatidylethanolamine and 5,10-methenyl tetra-hydrofolate. CONCLUSION E95EE can produce both protection and toxicity on nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as on tumor-associated diseases. The mechanisms may be related to metabolic pathways of triglycerides, vitamin A, tryptophane and histidines.