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Resumen El análisis de los ácidos orgánicos urinarios juega un papel crucial en el diagnóstico y seguimiento de pacientes con trastornos metabólicos congénitos. La falta de datos completos, las variaciones en los hábitos alimentarios entre países y el aumento del consumo de alimentos procesados subrayan la necesidad de realizar investigaciones actualizadas. Con el fin de establecer los intervalos de confianza y medianas de ácidos orgánicos urinarios se evaluaron mediante cromatografía gaseosa acoplada a espectrometría de masas, 125 muestras de orina de pacientes sanos, con edades comprendidas entre 2 días y 13 años. Los resultados fueron analizados teniendo en cuenta el grupo etario, y evidenciaron que las concentraciones de la mayoría de los ácidos orgánicos urinarios varían de acuerdo a la edad, lo que enfatiza la importancia de los valores de referencia emparejados con la edad para interpretar los datos de los pacientes. Existen pocos informes en esta área; sin embargo, la comparación de estos resultados con los valores de referencia informados por otros trabajos muestra una concordancia razonable y las pocas disparidades podrían atribuirse a factores genéticos o influencias dietéticas. Se presentan resultados e interpretaciones de niños previamente diagnosticados con trastornos metabólicos y otras afecciones, lo que confirma la confiabilidad de nuestros datos y métodos analíticos. Este estudio proporciona datos de referencia esenciales para los profesionales clínicos, destaca la importancia de los valores de referencia específicos de la edad para diagnosticar y tratar con precisión a pacientes con trastornos metabólicos y sirve como recurso fundamental para futuras investigaciones en este campo.
Abstract Analysis of urinary organic acids plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with congenital metabolic disorders. The lack of complete data, variations in dietary habits between countries, and increasing consumption of processed foods highlight the need for up-to-date research. In order to establish the confidence intervals and medians of urinary organic acids, 125 urine samples from healthy patients, aged between 2 days and 13 years, were evaluated by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The results were analysed taking into account the age group, showing that the concentrations of most urinary organic acids vary according to age, which emphasises the importance of paired age reference values to interpret patient data. There are few reports in this area; however, comparing our results with those reference values reported by other papers demonstrates reasonable agreement, and minor disparities could be attributed to genetic factors or dietary influences. Results and interpretations from children previously diagnosed with metabolic disorders and other conditions are presented, confirming the reliability of our data and analytical methods. This study provides essential reference data for clinicians, highlighting the importance of age-specific reference values to accurately diagnose and treat patients with metabolic disorders and serves as a critical resource for future research in this field.
Resumo A análise dos ácidos orgânicos urinários desempenha um papel crucial no diagnóstico e monitoramento de pacientes com distúrbios metabólicos congênitos. A falta de dados completos, as variações nos hábitos alimentares entre países e o aumento do consumo de alimentos processados destacam a necessidade de realizar pesquisas atualizadas. Para estabelecer os intervalos de confiança e medianas de ácidos orgânicos urinários, 125 amostras de urina de pacientes saudáveis, com idades entre 2 dias e 13 anos, foram avaliadas por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massa. Os resultados foram analisados levando em consideração o grupo etário, evidenciando que as concentrações da maioria dos ácidos orgânicos urinários variam de acordo com a idade, o que destaca a importância dos valores de referência pareados com a idade para interpretar os dados dos pacientes. Há poucos relatos nesta área; no entanto, a comparação destes resultados com os valores de referência informados por outros trabalhos demonstra uma concordância razoável, e as poucas disparidades poderiam ser atribuídas a fatores genéticos ou influências dietéticas. São apresentados resultados e interpretações de crianças previamente diagnosticadas com distúrbios metabólicos e outras condições, o que confirma a confiabilidade de nossos dados e métodos analíticos. Este estudo fornece dados de referência essenciais para profissionais clínicos, enfatizando a importância dos valores de referência específicos da idade para diagnosticar e tratar com precisão pacientes com distúrbios metabólicos, e serve como recurso fundamental para futuras pesquisas nesse campo.
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Objective: The present study was carried out with three varieties (green, pink, and sweet) of Carissa carandas fruit extract for the identification of phytochemical constituents in C. carandas fruit extracts using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)Methods: LC MS/MS and GCMS analysis were adopted to study three varieties of C. carandas fruit, namely green, pink, and sweet, using different solvent extractions such as ethanol, methanol, and aqueous.Results: High levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the green variety were beneficial for anti-diabetic activity due to their antioxidant properties. Among the three varieties of tested samples, the maximum concentration was observed in the ethanol extract of the green varieties (2.485 mg/g FW) compared to the ethanol extract of the pink (1.564 mg/g FW) and sweet (1.285 mg/g) varieties, respectively. Ethanol extract of the green variety has a high level of anthocyanin, which increases tolerance to disease. The separation and identification of fatty acids in C. carandas fruit were determined through analysis. The sweet C. carandas variety recorded the highest concentration of fatty acids (147.2 mg/100g FW) compared to the pink and green varieties (94.9 mg/100 g FW) and (72.79 mg/100 g FW), respectively, and could successfully identify the number of phytonutrients that have health benefits. Further work is being carried out, which may lead to the development of herbal medicine.Conclusion: The present study concludes that phytochemicals present in C. carandas fruit, extracted by LC-MS and GC MS analysis, contain antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects.
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ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（UPLC-MS） and non-targeted metabolomics technology to discuss the central regulatory effect of Chaishao Liujuntang on chronic atrophic gastritis（CAG） rats with liver-depression and spleen-deficiency， and to look for the correlation between cerebral cortex， hypothalamus and metabolic status of gastric tissues. MethodA CAG rat model with liver-depression and spleen-deficiency was established by chemical induction， hunger and satiety disorders， chronic restraint and tail clamping stimulation， lasting for 16 weeks. Twenty-eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank group of 8 rats and a model group of 20 rats. After the completion of modeling， 4 rats in the model group were taken to observe the pathological changes of gastric mucosa. The remaining model rats were randomly divided into a model group of 8 rats and a Chaishao Liujuntang group of 8 rats. Chaishao Liujuntang group rats were given 5.1 g·kg-1 by gavage， and the remaining rats were given equal volume sterilized water by gavage for 4 weeks. Macroscopic characteristics， behavioral indicators and histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa of rats in each group were observed and compared. UPLC-MS non-targeted metabolomics was used to explore the metabolic regulation effect of Chaishao Liujuntang on the cerebral cortex， hypothalamus and stomach tissues of CAG rats with liver-depression and spleen-deficiency. Pearson correlation coefficient method was used to analyze the correlation between different tissue metabolites. ResultCompared with the model group， the macroscopic characteristics of rats in Chaishao Liujuntang group were improved， such as hair color， mental state and stool properties， and the number of times of crossing and standing in the open field experiment was significantly increased， and the static time of forced swimming was significantly reduced（P<0.01）， and the gastric mucosa atrophy was reduced. The metabolic data from the cerebral cortex of rats in each group identified a total of 3 common potential biomarkers， but not enriched in pathways， 26 common potential biomarkers were identified in the hypothalamus， and the key metabolic pathways involved were mainly enriched in purine metabolism， glycerol phospholipid metabolism， D-glutamine and D-glutamic acid metabolism. Seventeen common potential biomarkers were identified in the stomach， and the key metabolic pathways involved were mainly enriched in thiamine metabolism， valine， leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis， and taurine and taurine metabolism. Correlation analysis of metabolites in different tissues revealed that multiple amino acids and their derivatives mediated metabolic connections between the cerebral cortex， hypothalamus and stomach of rats. ConclusionThe metabolic disorders in the cerebral cortex， hypothalamus and stomach of CAG rats with liver-depression and spleen-deficiency have their own characteristics， mainly manifested by changes in the content of glycerol phospholipids， fatty acids and bile acid metabolites. Moreover， Chaishao Liujuntang may play a central regulatory role in CAG rats with liver-depression and spleen-deficiency by correcting the metabolic disorders of amino acids.
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ObjectiveTo screen the differential markers by analyzing volatile components in Dalbergia odorifera and its counterfeits， in order to provide reference for authentication of D. odorifera. MethodThe volatile components in D. odorifera and its counterfeits were detected by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS）， and the GC conditions were heated by procedure（the initial temperature of the column was 50 ℃， the retention time was 1 min， and then the temperature was raised to 300 ℃ at 10 ℃ for 10 min）， the carrier gas was helium， and the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1， the split ratio was 10∶1， and the injection volume was 1 mL. The MS conditions used electron bombardment ionization（EI） with the scanning range of m/z 35-550. The compound species were identified by database matching， the relative content of each component was calculated by the peak area normalization method， and principal component analysis（PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discrimination analysis（OPLS-DA） and cluster analysis were performed on the detection results by SIMCA 14.1 software， and the differential components of D. odorifera and its counterfeits were screened out according to the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>2 and P<0.05. ResultA total of 26， 17， 8， 22， 24 and 7 volatile components were identified from D. odorifera， D. bariensis， D. latifolia， D. benthamii， D. pinnata and D. cochinchinensis， respectively. Among them， there were 11 unique volatile components of D. odorifera， 6 unique volatile components of D. bariensis， 3 unique volatile components of D. latifolia， 6 unique volatile components of D. benthamii， 8 unique volatile components of D. pinnata， 4 unique volatile components of D. cochinchinensis. The PCA results showed that， except for D. latifolia and D. cochinchinensis， which could not be clearly distinguished， D. odorifera and other counterfeits could be distributed in a certain area， respectively. The OPLS-DA results showed that D. odorifera and its five counterfeits were clustered into one group each， indicating significant differences in volatile components between D. odorifera and its counterfeits. Finally， a total of 31 differential markers of volatile components between D. odoriferae and its counterfeits were screened. ConclusionHS-GC-MS combined with SIMCA 14.1 software can systematically elucidate the volatile differential components between D. odorifera and its counterfeits， which is suitable for rapid identification of them.
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ObjectiveTo identify the prototypical components and metabolites absorbed into blood and cerebrospinal fluid of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus（SCF） based on sequential metabolism combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. MethodBlood and cerebrospinal fluid samples of integrated metabolism， intestinal metabolism and hepatic metabolism were collected from male SD rats after gavage and in situ intestinal perfusion administration， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to analyze and compare the differences in the spectra of SCF extract， blank plasma， administered plasma， blank cerebrospinal fluid and administered cerebrospinal fluid with ACQUITY UPLC BEH Shield RP18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 µm）， the mobile phase was acetonitrile（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B） for gradient elution（0-7 min， 95%B； 7-12 min， 95%-35%B； 12-17 min， 35%-15%B； 17-20 min， 15%-12%B； 20-22 min， 12%-5%B； 22-23 min， 5%B； 23-25 min， 5%-95%B； 25-28 min， 95%B）. And heated electrospray ionization（HESI） was used with positive and negative ion modes， the scanning range was m/z 100-1 500. The prototypical constituents and their metabolites absorbed into blood and cerebrospinal fluid of SCF were identified according to the retention time， characteristic fragments， molecular formulae and the information of reference substances. ResultA total of 42 chemical components were identified in the extract of SCF， including lignans， flavonoids， amino acids， tannins， and others， of which lignans were the main ones. A total of 27 prototypical components and 14 metabolites were identified in plasma samples from different sites. A total of 15 prototypical components and 9 metabolites were identified in cerebrospinal fluid. The main metabolic reactions involved in the formation of metabolites were mainly demethylation， methylation， demethoxylation and hydroxylation. ConclusionThrough the systematic identification of the prototypical components and metabolites of SCF in rats， it provides data support for further better exploring the material basis of SCF in the treatment of central nervous system diseases.
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ObjectiveTo analyze the antidepressant quality markers（Q-Marker） of Bupleuri Radix（BP） before and after vinegar-processing by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， multivariate statistical analysis and network pharmacology. MethodUPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to analyze the chemical basis of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP， and principal component analysis（PCA） orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to identify the differential components in BP that changed significantly before and after vinegar-processing， which were regarded as candidate quality markers（Q-Marker）. Then the disease-drug-component-target network related to antidepressant effect of BP was constructed by network pharmacology， and the antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP was determined. Rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， fluoxetine group（2.67 mg·kg-1） and total saponin group（0.72 mg·kg-1）， except the blank group， rats in the other groups were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）. Three weeks after the start of modeling， rats in each administration group were given the corresponding dose of drugs once a day for 4 weeks， and rats in the blank and model groups were given normal saline with dose of 10 mL·kg-1. At 1 day before modeling， 21 days and 28 days after administration， body mass weighing， sucrose preference test and open field test were performed on each group . After 28 days of administration， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）， protein kinase B（Akt）， mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β）， forkhead box transcription factor O3a（FoxO3a） and β-catenin in hippocampal tissues of rats in each group， while protein expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and FoxO3a in hippocampal tissues of rats in each group were detected by Western blot. ResultThere were 19 components in BP showed significant changes before and after vinegar-processing， and 9 components such as saikosaponin A， saikosaponin B1， saikosaponin B2， saikosaponin C and saikosaponin D were identified as potential Q-Marker through S-plot differential marker screening. Combined with the disease-drug-component-target network， saikosaponin A， saikosaponin B1， saikosaponin B2 and saikosaponin D were identified as antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP. According to the results of pharmacodynamic tests， after 28 d of administration， compared with the blank group， the body mass， sucrose preference index and open field total score of rats in model group， fluoxetine group and total saponin group decreased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the body mass， sucrose preference index and open field total score in total saponin group increased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and β-catenin in hippocampus of rats in the model group decreased significantly（P<0.05）， while mRNA expression levels of GSK-3β and FoxO3a increased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and β-catenin in hippocampus of rats in the total saponin group were increased significantly（P<0.05）， while mRNA expression levels of GSK-3β and FoxO3a decreased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the protein expression levels of Akt and mTOR in hippocampus of the model group decreased significantly（P<0.01）， while the protein expression levels of PI3K and FoxO3a increased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression level of Akt in hippocampus of the total saponin group increased significantly（P<0.01）， the mTOR expression level was increased but not statistically significant， while the protein expression levels of PI3K and FoxO3a decreased significantly（P<0.01）. ConclusionThe chemical constituents of BP changed greatly after vinegar-processing， and the antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP was determined by chemical basis， pharmacodynamics， network pharmacology and signaling pathway， which provided a reference for further research on quality control， pharmacodynamic substance basis and processing mechanism of BP.
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ObjectiveMetabolomics was used to reveal the mechanism of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata（ALRP） in attenuating toxicity by processing from the aspects of amino acid metabolism， oxidative stress and energy metabolism by analyzing multiple metabolic pathways. MethodTwenty-four rats were randomly divided into control group， raw group and processed group， 8 rats in each group. The raw and processed group were given with 0.64 g·kg-1 of raw ALRP and processed ALRP respectively every day， the control group was given with an equal amount of normal saline once a day. After continuous administration for 7 days， the urine， serum and heart tissue of rats were collected. Pathological examination of the heart was carried out using hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase（LDH） and creatine kinase-MB（CK-MB） in serum and cardiac tissues were detected by microplate assay and immunoinhibition assay. The effects of ALRP on rat heart before and after processing were compared and analyzed. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to perform urine metabolomics analysis， and multivariate statistical analysis was used to screen for differential metabolites related to ALRP in attenuating toxicity by processing， and pathway enrichment analysis was carried out to explore the processing mechanism. ResultHE staining showed that no obvious pathological changes were observed in the heart tissue of the control group， while obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells such as plasma cells and granulocytes was observed in the heart tissue of the raw group， indicating that the raw ALRP had strong cardiotoxicity. There was no significant difference in HE staining of heart tissue between the processed group and the control group， indicating that the toxicity of ALRP was significantly reduced after processing. Compared with the control group， the activities of LDH and CK-MB were significantly increased in serum and heart tissue of the raw group， and those were significantly decreased in serum and heart tissue of the processed group， suggesting that the myocardial toxicity of processed ALRP was reduced. A total of 108 endogenous differential metabolites associated with the raw ALRP were screened using multivariate statistical analysis in positive and negative modes， of which 51 differential metabolites were back-regulated by the processed ALRP. Biological analysis of the key regulatory pathways and associated network changes showed that the pathways related to toxicity of ALRP mainly included tryptophan metabolism， arginine and proline metabolism， phenylalanine metabolism， aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis， alanine， aspartate and glutamate metabolism， etc. The metabolic pathways related to the attenuation of processed ALRP mainly included aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis， tryptophan metabolism， phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis， phenylalanine metabolism and caffeine metabolism. ConclusionThe processing technology of ALRP in Guilingji can significantly attenuate the cardiotoxicity of raw products， the mechanism mainly involves amino acid metabolism， oxidative stress and energy metabolism， which can provide experimental bases for the research related to the mechanism of toxicity reduction of ALRP by processing and its clinical safety applications.
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ObjectiveTo establish an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry（UHPLC-QqQ-MS） for determination of the active ingredients in Erdongtang， and to predict the targets and pathways of anti-insulin resistance action of this formula. MethodThe analysis was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-acetonitrile（B） for gradient elution（0-3 min， 90%-87%A； 3-6 min， 87%-86%A； 6-9 min， 86%-83%A； 9-11 min， 83%-75%A； 11-18 min， 75%-70%A； 18-19 min， 70%-52%A； 19-22 min， 52%A； 22-25 min， 52%-5%A； 25-27 min， 5%-90%A； 27-30 min， 90%A）. The contents of active ingredients in Erdongtang was detected by electrospray ionization（ESI） and multiple reaction monitoring（MRM） mode under positive and negative ion modes. On this basis， network pharmacology was applied to predict the targets and pathways of Erdongtang exerting anti-insulin resistance effect. ResultThe 20 active ingredients in Erdongtang showed good linear relationships within a certain mass concentration range， and the precision， stability， repeatability and recovery rate were good. The results of determination showed that the ingredients with high content in 15 batches of samples were baicalein（1 259.39-1 635.78 mg·L-1）， baicalin（1 078.37-1 411.52 mg·L-1）， the ingredients with medium content were mangiferin（148.59-217.04 mg·L-1）， timosaponin BⅡ（245.10-604.89 mg·L-1）， quercetin-3-O-glucuronide（89.30-423.26 mg·L-1）， rutin（46.91-1 553.61 mg·L-1）， glycyrrhizic acid（55.97-391.47 mg·L-1）， neomangiferin（37.45-127.03 mg·L-1）， nuciferine（0.89-63.48 mg·L-1）， hyperoside（6.96-136.78 mg·L-1）， liquiritin（30.89-122.78 mg·L-1）， liquiritigenin（26.64-110.67 mg·L-1）， protodioscin（58.57-284.26 mg·L-1）， the ingredients with low content were wogonin（7.16-20.74 mg·L-1）， pseudoprotodioscin（5.49-22.96 mg·L-1）， ginsenoside Rb1（7.31-23.87 mg·L-1）， ginsenoside Rg1（10.78-28.33 mg·L-1）， ginsenoside Re（7.78-24.76 mg·L-1）， ophiopogonin D（2.08-4.29 mg·L-1）， methylophiopogonanone A（0.74-1.67 mg·L-1）. The results of network pharmacology indicated that the mechanism of anti-insulin resistance exerted by Erdongtang might be related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway. ConclusionThe established UHPLC-QqQ-MS has the advantages of simple sample processing， strong exclusivity and high sensitivity， and can simultaneously determine the contents of the main ingredients from seven herbs in Erdongtang， which can lay the foundation for the development of Erdongtang compound preparations. The results of the network pharmacology can provide a reference for the mechanism study of Erdongtang in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， to evaluate the establishment of a mouse model of liver Yin deficiency by thyroid tablet suspension combined with 10% carbon tetrachloride（CCl4） from the perspective of non-targeted metabolomics， in order to lay the foundation for the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome model. MethodA total of 24 mice were randomly divided into blank group and model group. The model group was given thyroid tablet suspension（0.003 2 g·kg-1） by gavage for 14 consecutive days， and 10% CCl4（5 mL·kg-1） was intraperitoneally injected once a week to establish a liver Yin deficiency model， while the blank group was injected with an equal amount of olive oil intraperitoneally and gavaged with an equal amount of distilled water， and was fed with normal feed. After the modeling was completed， 6 mice in each group were randomly selected， the levels of alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate（cGMP）， interleukin（IL）-6， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）were measured in the mice serum， and malondialdehyde（MDA）， superoxide dismutase（SOD）， total protein（TP）， hydroxyproline（HYP） and other indicators were measured in the mice liver. Liver tissue sections were taken for hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and observing pathological changes. The remaining 6 mice in each group were subjected to UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to screen differential metabolites in the liver Yin deficiency mouse model， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） database was used to analyze the corresponding metabolic pathways of differential metabolites. ResultCompared with the blank group， mice in the model group showed liver Yin deficiency manifestations such as reduced body weight， fatigue and sleepiness， disheveled and lusterless hair， irritability. The levels of ALT， cAMP/cGMP， IL-6， AST， MDA， cAMP， TNF-α significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the levels of SOD， IL-10 and cGMP significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the changes of HYP and TP were not statistically significant. Hepatic steatosis and distortion of the radial arrangement of the liver plate cells were seen in the section images of the model group， endogenous substances were clearly separated， and 252 differential metabolites were identified in the serum samples， which were mainly involved in the metabolic pathways of purine metabolism， steroid hormone biosynthesis and pyrimidine metabolism. A total of 229 differential metabolites were identified in the liver samples， mainly involving nucleotide metabolism， purine metabolism， steroid hormone biosynthesis， pyrimidine metabolism， antifolate resistance， insulin resistance， primary bile acid biosynthesis， prostate cancer， sulfur relay system， arachidonic acid metabolism and other metabolic pathways. ConclusionThe successful establishment of liver Yin deficiency model in mice by CCl4 combined with thyroid hormone is evaluated through the investigation of serum and liver metabolomics， combined with biochemical indicators， which provides a biological basis and experimental foundation for the Yin deficiency syndrome model of TCM.
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Background Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath are closely associated with respiratory diseases and are linked to various metabolic reactions in the human body. A quantitative analytical method can provide technical support for studying VOCs related to various diseases. Objective To establish a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) method for the determination of 27 VOCs in exhaled breath. Methods VOCs in exhaled breath were collected using a Bio-VOC sampler and enriched with Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes before TD-GC-MS analysis. Standards were collected using thermal desorption tubes and optimized for thermal desorption conditions as well as chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions: The separation of the 27 VOCs was achieved by an optimized temperature program, the improvement of sensitivity by optimizing quantitative ions, and the increase of VOCs desorption efficiency by optimizing thermal desorption time and temperature. Limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, and stability of the proposed method were investigated by spiking with a blank gas bag, and exhaled breath samples from 20 healthy individuals were collected for an application study of the proposed method. Results The thermal desorption temperature was 280 ℃, and desorption time was 6 min. A VF-624ms chromatographic column was selected for the separation of target substances. The initial temperature of heating program was 35 ℃, maintained for 1 min, and then increased to 100 ℃ at a heating rate of 3 ℃·min−1 for 1 min, followed by increasing to 210 ℃ at a heating rate of 28 ℃·min−1 for 5 min. A quantitative analysis was conducted with a single ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Under these conditions, the 27 VOCs showed good linear relationships in their respective concentration ranges and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.9990. The limits of detection of the method were in the range of 0.01-0.13 nmol·mol−1, the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.02-0.44 nmol·mol−1, and the spiked recoveries were in the range of 80.1%-120.5%, with intra-batch and inter-batch precision ≤ 18.8% and 17.9% respectively. All substances can be stored at room temperature (23-28 °C) for 7 d and at 4 °C for 14 d. The proposed method was applied to exhaled breath samples from 20 subjects with detection rates≥ 80% (except for trans-2-pentene and decane) and a concentration range of 0.00-465.50 nmol·mol−1. Conclusion The established TD-GC-MS method for quantification of VOCs in exhaled breath is characterized by high sensitivity and good accuracy, and is suitable for quantitative determination of VOCs in exhaled breath, which can provide technical support for the study of exhaled breath VOCs.
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Background Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent organic pollutants that possess potential toxicity to the human body. The production and utilization of diverse emerging PFAS have resulted in widespread human exposure. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a quantitative methodology encompassing a wide range of PFAS for a comprehensive assessment of human exposure to these compounds. Objective To establish a high-throughput quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of 53 PFAS in human serum based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q Exactive HRMS). Methods The extraction recoveries of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) column, weak anionexchange (WAX) column, and 96-well WAX μElution plate were compared to select the SPE column with the highest recovery. The retention time and peak shape of the target compounds were compared between ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column and Accucore aQ column, and the more cost-effective column was chosen. The effects of adding different levels of ammonium formate (0, 2, 5 and 10 mmol·L−1) in mobile phase on peak shape and target response were compared to determine the optimal buffer salt concentration. The optimal spray voltage was obtained by comparing −2 kV and −4 kV. The proposed method was validated from the aspects of selectivity, standard curve, limits of detection, precision, accuracy, and matrix effect. The method was applied to 142 umbilical serum samples. Results The best recovery rate (64%-118%) was achieved by using 96-well WAX μElution plate. The optimal separation and peak shape were obtained by utilizing Accucore aQ column with H2O-methanol (containing 5 mmol·L−1 ammonium formate) as the mobile phase. Less in-source collision and better target response were observed when the spray voltage was set to −2 kV. All target analytes had a good linearity, with R2 > 0.99. The limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 0.50 μg·L−1, and the recovery ranged from 69% to 127% with the precision less than 26%. A total of 31 PFAS were detected in the 142 actual samples, among which 14 PFAS had a detection frequency over 50%. Perfluorooctanoic acid showed the highest median concentration of 4.16 μg·L−1, followed by 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate and perfluorooctane sulfonates (3.50 μg·L−1 and 1.59 μg·L−1, respectively). Conclusion In this study, we establish a UPLC-Q Excative HRMS method for simutanious determination of 53 PFAS concentrations in serum. This method has the advantages of wide coverage of PFAS, good selectivity, and easy operation, and is suitable for biological detection with a large sample size.
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ObjectiveUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to identify the metabolites of harmine in rats， in order to explore the differences in distribution of metabolites in rats after single dose（40 mg·kg-1） intragastric administration of harmine， as well to speculate the metabolic pathways. MethodSD rats were given a single dose of harmine by intragastric administration. Plasma， bile， urine and feces samples were collected after administration， and the samples were processed for determination by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC™ HSS T3 columu（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.8 μm） with acetonitrile（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B） as mobile phase for gradient elution（0-2 min， 5%A； 2-9 min， 5%-35%A； 9-9.5 min， 35%-100%A； 9.5-12 min， 100%A； 12-12.5 min， 100%-5%A； 12.5-14 min， 5%A）， the mass spectra were obtained in positive ion mode with electrospray ionization（ESI）， the scanning range was m/z 50-1 200. The metabolites of harmine were identified based on the information of the obtained compounds and the literature data， and the metabolic pathways were hypothesized. ResultA total of 42 compounds（harmine and its metabolites） were identified in rats， including 27 in plasma， 17 in bile， 26 in urine and 13 in feces. The metabolic pathways involved in these 42 metabolites included monohydroxylation， dihydroxylation， demethylation， glucuronidation and sulfation. ConclusionHarmine can undergo phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ metabolic reactions in rats， and the prototype drug is metabolized rapidly in vivo， and the metabolites are mainly excreted by the kidneys， which can provide a reference basis for the pharmacodynamics and material basis of harmine.
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@#Abstract: The differential expression and subcellular localization of single-cell proteins are closely related to the physiological state and pathological mechanisms of the body. The development of single-cell protein in situ imaging methods provides powerful tools for spatial single-cell proteomics research and single-cell protein profiling. This article summarizes the single-cell protein imaging methods developed in recent years, including the circulating immunofluorescence imaging methods based on ordered multi-round antibody incubation, mass spectrometry imaging based on metal element labeled antibodies, fluorescence imaging based on DNA-barcoded antibody, gene encoded fluorescence protein imaging and spectral imaging based on Raman spectroscopy or X-ray spectroscopy, with brief explanation of the imaging principles of these methods. It focuses on the multiple performance, imaging resolution and signal amplification performance of these methods, and analyzes their application characteristics in practical scientific research and clinical work, in the hope of providing some reference for the development of more revolutionary single-cell imaging methods, and promoting the development of biomedical and precision medicine.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the brain absorption components of Tianyuan Zhitong prescription and their distribution based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging（DESI-MSI） and hyperspectral imaging techniques. MethodTen BALB/c mice were randomly divided into blank group（n=3） and administration group（n=7）， the administration group was gavaged with 0.3 mL of Tianyuan Zhitong prescription liquid at a concentration of about 5 g·mL-1 of the raw material， and the blank group was gavaged with an equal volume of normal saline， and the whole brain of the mice were taken for the preparation of tissue homogenates and frozen sections， respectively. The tissue homogenates were qualitatively analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS for the brain absorption components in positive and negative ion modes， frozen sections were used for imaging to observe the distribution of these components in the brain. Cytoviva dark-field enhancement microscope was used to perform hyperspectral imaging scanning on the brain sections of mice from each group， and the scattered light data of at least 1 000 pixels in the visible-near-infrared（400-1 000 nm） band in the microscopic field of view were collected and average spectrum were created， which were used to compare the components in the brain tissues of mice from the blank and administration groups. ResultA total of 27 brain absorption components of Tianyuan Zhitong prescription were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS， including 10 organic acids， 5 glycosides， 4 alkaloids， 1 phenol， 4 flavonoids， 2 phthalides and 1 other compound， which were mainly derived from Gastrodiae Rhizoma， Chuanxiong Rhizoma， vinegar-processed Corydalis Rhizoma， Ziziphi Spinosae Semen and processed Morindae Officinalis Radix. A total of 14 components were identified by mass spectrometry imaging， of which ferulic acid， tetrahydropalmatine and N-methyl dehydroberberine were mainly distributed in the cerebral cortex， vitamin B5， vemonoic acid and ricinoleic acid were mainly distributed in the hypothalamus， elemicin， octadecenic acid and octadecanoic acid were mainly distributed in the cortex and hypothalamus， while senkyunolide B， ligustilide， linoleic acid， 9，12-octadecadienoyl ethyl ester and spinosin were distributed in most regions of the brain tissues. Hyperspectral imaging showed that in the visible-near-infrared band range， the average spectrum of the brain tissues of mice in the administration group was significantly red-shifted， indicating that there were differences in the physical properties or contents of the chemical components in the brain between mice in the blank group and those in the administration group， and further verified the results of mass spectrometry imaging. ConclusionThrough the combination of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and imaging techniques， the pharmacodynamic components of Tianyuan Zhitong prescription in the treatment of headache and the regional characteristics in brain tissue are clarified， which can provide reference for the selection of the index components of the research on the quality standard of this prescription and the research on the mechanism of the pharmacological effect.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of anti-pulmonary fibrosis of cannabidiol by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. MethodSD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， prednisone group（3.15 mg·kg-1） and cannabidiol low， medium and high dose groups（12， 36， 108 mg·kg-1）， with 8 rats in each group. The rat model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by intratracheal injection of bleomycin（5 mg·kg-1）， which was administered continuously for 28 days after successful modeling. The pathological changes of rat lung tissue were observed， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-7（MMP-7）， type Ⅱ alveolar cell surface antigen（KL-6）， pulmonary surfactant-associated protein A（SP-A） and SP-D in serum. The expression levels of type Ⅰ collagen（Col-Ⅰ） and fibronectin（FN） in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry， and the expression of mucin 5 subtype AC（MUC5AC） was detected by immunofluorescence. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to search for potential biomarkers and related metabolic pathways of cannabidiol in treating pulmonary fibrosis. ResultCompared with the blank group， there were a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration and continuous fibrosis lesions in the lung tissue of rats in the model group. Compared with the model group， the inflammatory infiltration and blue collagen deposition in the lung tissue of rats in the prednisone and cannabidiol groups were reduced. Compared with the blank group， the expressions of MMP-7， KL-6， SP-A and SP-D in serum of the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）， while the expressions of MMP-7， KL-6， SP-A and SP-D in the prednisone and cannabidiol high dose groups were significantly decreased by comparing with the model group（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the expression levels of Col-Ⅰ and FN in the lung tissues of the model group were significantly increased， and the fluorescence intensity of MUC5AC was significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of Col-Ⅰ and FN in the lung tissues of the prednisone and cannabidiol high dose groups were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression of MUC5AC was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， a total of 18 differential compounds were screened out in the model group， which could be used as potential biomarkers， and cannabidiol could call back 16 of them， mainly involving 4 metabolic pathways（linoleic acid metabolism， phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis， arachidonic acid metabolism， and niacin and niacinamide metabolism）. Compared with the blank group， the relative contents of potential biomarkers arachidonic acid and linoleic acid were significantly increased in the model group（P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the relative contents of 5，6-EET， L-tyrosine and niacinamide were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， cannabidiol could significantly reduce the relative contents of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid， and significantly increase the relative contents of 5，6-EET， L-tyrosine and niacinamide（P<0.01）. ConclusionCannabidiol has an intervention and remission effect on pulmonary fibrosis， and its mechanism may be related to linoleic acid metabolism， phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis， arachidonic acid metabolism， niacin and niacinamide metabolism.
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A derivatizaton method combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)was established for detection of isobutyl chloroformate(IBCF)residue in active pharmaceutical ingredient of agatroban.The extraction and derivatization reagents,derivatization time,qualitative and quantitative ions were selected and optimized,respectively.The possible mechanism of derivatization and characteristic fragment ions fragmentation were speculated.The agatroban samples were dissolved and extracted by methanol,and the residual IBCF was derived with methanol to generate methyl isobutyl carbonate(MIBCB).After 24 h static derivatization at room temperature,IBCF was completely transformed into MIBCB,which could be used to indirectly detect IBCF accurately.The results showed that the linearity of this method was good in the range of 25-500 ng/mL(R2=0.9999).The limit of detection(LOD,S/N=3)was 0.75 μg/g,and the limit of quantification(LOQ,S/N=10)was 2.50 μg/g.Good recoveries(95.2%-97.8%)and relative standard deviations(RSDs)less than 3.1%(n=6)were obtained from agatroban samples at three spiked levels of IBCF(2.50,25.00,50.00 μg/g),which showed good accuracy of this method.Good precision of detection results was obtained by different laboratory technicians at different times,the mean value of spiked sample solution(25.00 μg/g)was 24.28 μg/g,and the RSD was 2.1%(n=12).The durability was good,minor changes of detection conditions had little effect on the results.Under the original condition and conditions with initial column temperature±5℃,heating rate±2℃/min,column flow rate±0.1 mL/min,the IBCF content of spiked sample solution(25.00 μg/g)was detected,the mean value of detection results was 24.16 μg/g,and the RSD was 2.2%(n=7).Eight batches of agatroban samples from two manufacturers were detected using the established method,and the results showed that no IBCF residue was detected in any of these samples.The agatroban samples could be dissolved by methanol,and then the IBCF residue could be simultaneously extracted and derived with methanol as well.This detection method had the advantages of simple operation,high sensitivity,low matrix effect and accurate quantification,which provided a new effective method for detection of IBCF residue in agatroban.
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A rapid analytical method for simultaneous determination of 32 kinds of multi-residue veterinary drugs in eggs was developed using a modified QuEChERS technique based on a reduced graphene oxide-coated melamine sponge(r-GO@MeS)by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS).The influences of graphene oxide(GO)concentrations,sponge dosages,and purification modes on drug recoveries were investigated during the purification process.The optimal purification conditions involved using a GO concentration of 0.5 mg/mL,a sponge dosage of 6.0 cm3/mL,and a dynamic purification mode of 5 extrusion cycles.Separation was achieved using an Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 RRHD column(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm),and quantitative analysis was performed by the external standard method using an electrospray ionization source(ESI)in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode.The results showed that all 32 kinds of veterinary drugs exhibited good linear correlation with coefficients greater than 0.999,and matrix effects(MEs)ranging from?7.8%to 18.9%.The limits of detection(LODs)and quantification(LOQs)ranged from 0.2 to 10.2 μg/kg and from 0.6 to 28.0 μg/kg,respectively.The recoveries for the three spiked levels were in the range of 66.5%?117.5%,with intra-day and inter-day precision(Relative standard deviation)below 13.3%and 16.3%,respectively.The synthetic r-GO@MeS exhibited efficient matrix purification without the need of high-speed centrifugation or strong magnetic field assistance.This significantly shorted the sample pretreatment time and improved the convenience of the matrix purification process.Combined with UPLC-MS/MS,the method was suitable for the rapid determination of multi-residue veterinary drugs in eggs.
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Investigating the structural characteristics of proton tautomers is of great significance for understanding organic reactions and biochemical processes.In this study,a method based on ion mobility mass spectrometry combined with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations was proposed.The structures of proton tautomers were determined by comparing the experimental and theoretical collision-induced dissociation(CID)mass spectrograms of different proton tautomers.Ion mobility mass spectrometry was used to separate proton tautomerism produced during ionization.The CID mass spectra of each isomer could be obtained after mobility separation.The quantum chemical mass spectrometry(QCXMS)program based on ab initio molecular dynamics calculations was used to calculate the fragmentation process and obtain the theoretical CID mass spectra.The results of experiment and calculation showed that this method effectively solved the issue of difficult identification of proton tautomers.This method was also of great significance for the study of ionization mechanism and organic reaction process using mass spectrometry.
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A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method was developed for determination of three kinds of β-agonists(Clenbuterol(CL),Ractopamine(RAC)and Salbutamol(SAL))residues in animal liver samples.The liver sample homogenates were extracted with organic solvent,followed by clean-up using the automatic magnetic solid-phase extraction(MSPE),and then analyzed using LC-MS/MS.The results showed that the magnetic mixed-mode cation exchange adsorbent(M-MCX)exhibited 34%higher adsorption capacity than the conventional mixed-mode cation exchange(MCX)column.Furthermore,the clean-up was conducted by using an automatic MSPE device,and 8 samples could be simultaneously treated within 30 min.The limits of detection(LOD)were 0.01-0.1 μg/kg,the average recoveries ranged from 88.2%to 110.5%,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)were in range of 2.9%-10.3%at three spiked levels for the three kinds of β-agonists.Compared with the traditional SPE technique,the present method had many advantages such as simple operation,rapidity and high efficiency,which was suitable for high-throughput and automatic detection of residues in routine analysis.
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A new method for simultaneous determination of 23 kinds of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs)(13 kinds of perfluoro carboxylic acids,4 kinds of perfluoro sulfonic acids,and 6 kinds of new substitutes)in plant leaf tissue by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)using automatic online solid phase extraction(SPE)to remove the matrix interference components in plant crude extracts was developed.The plant leaf samples were extracted twice with 1%formic acid-methanol solution,then evaporated to dry,redissolved with 70%methanol solution,and directly injected for analysis.After 23 kinds of target PFASs were purified automatically by online SPE with a WAX column,the six-way valve was switched to rinse PFASs onto an alkaline mobile phase system-compatible C18 analytical column.Then,the 23 kinds of target PFASs were separated within 16 min by gradient elution using a binary mobile phase system of methanol/water(Containing 0.4%ammonium hydroxide).Tandem mass spectrometry was performed in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode for online detection of various PFASs,and quantification was carried out by internal standard method.The results of the method validation showed that satisfactory average recoveries of 23 kinds of PFASs in plant leaf samples(64.2%-125.5%),precision(relative standard deviations(RSDs)of 0.7%-12.8%),linearity(R2＞0.990),and sensitivity(the detection limits(S/N=3)were in the range of 0.02-0.50 μg/kg)were achieved.Finally,this method was used to detect PFASs in the marine green tide algae(Enteromorpha prolifera)and several tree leaves,and a total of 6 kinds of PFASs were detected,in which PFBA was the main contaminant.Compared with the reported offline SPE methods,the proposed online SPE technique significantly simplified the sample pretreatment process and provided an automatic,simple,and environment-friendly method for the routine monitoring of legacy and emerging PFASs in plant tissues.