Identification of chemical constituents in Zhachong Shisanwei Pills by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

Zhachong Shisanwei Pills, composed of 13 Chinese medicinal materials, are used for treating the diseases such as hemiplegia, pain of muscles and bones, rheumatism, and joint pain. The chemical composition and pharmacodynamics of Zhachong Shisanwei Pills have not been reported. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was employed to quickly identify the chemical components of Zhachong Shisanwei Pills, which was performed with Shim-pack GIST C_(18) column(4.6 mm×150 mm, 5 μm). The gradient elution was conducted with methanol-0.05% acetic acid as the mobile phase. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(ESI-MS) was carried out in both positive and negative ion modes. The compounds were identidied based on accurate relative molecular weight, fragment ion species, and the MS data of reference substances and in literature. In conclusion, a total of 98 compounds were identified, including 19 organic acids, 36 flavonoids, 13 volatile oils, 8 tannins, 5 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, 5 amino acids, 3 sesquiterpenoids, 3 alkaloids, and 2 other compounds. This study characte-rized the chemical components of Zhachong Shisanwei Pills rapidly for the first time, laying a foundation for further research on the pharmacodynamic material basis and quality evaluation.

Investigation of the metabolites of five major constituents from Berberis amurensis in normal and pseudo germ-free rats / 中国天然药物

Berberis amurensis (Berberidaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is often used to treat hypertension, inflammation, dysentery and enteritis. It contains alkaloids, mainly including berberine, berbamine, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine and palmatine. Berberis amurensis extracts (BAEs) is often orally taken. Oral herbs might be metabolized by intestinal bacteria in the small intestine. However, the interaction between the herb and the gut microbiota is still unknown. In the current study, UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with Metabolitepilot and Peakview software was used to identify the metabolites of BAEs in anti-biotic cocktail induced pseudo germ-free rats and normal rats. As a result, a total of 46 metabolites in normal rats were detected and its main metabolic pathways include demethylation, dehydrogenation, methylation, hydroxylation, sulfation and glucuronidation. Only 29 metabolites existed in pseudo germ-free rats. Dehydrogenated metabolites (M29, M30, M34 and M36), methylated metabolites (M33, M41 and M46) and other metabolites were not detected in pseudo germ-free rats. The result implied that the intestinal bacteria have an influence on the metabolism of BAEs. Furthermore, this investigation might contribute to the understanding of the metabolism of BAEs, and further promote its clinical application.

Effects of verapamil on pharmacokinetics of Y101 in vivo in rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To develop a liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC- MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of bentysrepinine (Y101) and its metabolites M8 and M9 in rat plasma and to investigate the effect of verapamil, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) , on the pharma¬cokinetics of Y101, a substrate of P-gp, in rats. Methods SD rats were divided randomly into two groups; ( 1) Y101 only as a control group, received an oral dose of 60 mg • kg"1 Y101; (2) Verapamil plus Y101 as an experimental group, received an oral dose of 60 mg • kg"1 Y101 in combination of 25 mg • kg"1 verapamil. The plasma concentrations of Y101 and its metabolites were determined by LC-MS/MS method af¬ter intragastric administration, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using non-compartmental a- nalysis. Results We successfully developed and fully validated a LC-MS/MS method, which simultaneously determined the concentration of Y101 and its metabo¬lites in rat plasma. The AUC0_t for Y101 and M9 in experimental group increased to 1.71-fold and 1.58- fold in comparison of control group. At the same time, the plasma clearance of Y101 and M9 decreased to 60% of control. However, we did not find any differ¬ence in AUC0_l and plasma clearance for M8 between two groups. Conclusions The validated LC-MS/MS method is sensitive and rapid for the determination of Y101 and its metabolites in rat plasma and was suc¬cessfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study in rats. Verapamil, a P-gp inhibitor, significantly increases the exposure of Y101 and its metabolites in vivo, indicating the adjustment of Y101 dosage for combined adminis¬tration is needed in clinical practice.

Study on the correlation between pterygium and single blood lipid and its ratio / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To study the serum lipids changes and lipid ratiosin patients with pterygium. <p>METHODS: Based on the retrospective study, 500 pterygium patients who were admitted to the department of ophthalmology and had finished physical examination in the physical examination center of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2016 to February 2019 were included. As well as 500 people who underwent health examination and were matched in age and gender at the same time. The serum levels of triglycerides(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), were measured by professionals in hospital. TG/HDL, TC/HDL, LDL/HDL were calculated and analyzed statistically between the two groups.<p>RESULTS: Among the 500 patients with pterygium, abnormal serum lipid content accounted for 68.2%(341/500). TG, TC, LDL-C level and TG/HDL, TC/HDL and LDL/HDL were higher in pterygium group than control, and with statistically significant differences(<i>P</i><0.001). While serum HDL level was lower than that in control group and with no statistically significant differences(<i>P</i>>0.05). According to Logistic analysis, TG(<i>OR</i>=4.132), TC(<i>OR</i>=2.194), TG/HDL(<i>OR</i>=2.184)and TC/HDL(<i>OR</i>=2.007)were risk factors for pterygium(<i>P</i><0.05). <p>CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia is an important factor in the pathogenesis of pterygium. It is very necessary for the patients with pterygium to control the level of blood lipids because it has important clinical significance for the attack and treatment of them.

Mutation identification of PAX6 and prenatal diagnosis in a Chinese family with Aniridia and gestational diabetes / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To explore the genetic defects and prenatal diagnosis of a Chinese family with aniridia and gestational diabetes.<p>METHODS: We recruited a Chinese family with aniridia and gestational diabetes. Genomic DNA of the whole family individuals was extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes. Encoding regions of the paired box 6(PAX6)gene was screened by PCR direct sequencing. Amniocentesis was carried out on the affected female at 18wk of gestation, and subsequently, genetics analysis was performed based on the result of mutation screening.<p>RESULTS: In this study, the patients with aniridia and congenital cataract carried a heterozygous deletion mutation(c.113_129del GGCCGTGCGACATTTCC, p.Arg38ProfsTer12)in exon 5 of PAX6. One of the patients was affected with diabetes while this lady also had gestational diabetes. The result of prenatal diagnosis suggested the fetus carried the same mutation and will be affected with the aniridia, which was confirmed by postpartum follow-up.<p>CONCLUSION: It was suggested that a reported deletion mutation in the PAX6 was identified again in a Chinese family with aniridia and congenital cataract. It contributed to more literature information for the human PAX6 allelic variant database and provided an analysis basis for prenatal diagnosis.

Determination of obeticholic acid in rat plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) / 药学学报

A simple and sensitive method was developed for quantitation of obeticholic acid in rat plasma with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After liquid-liquid extraction by methyl tert-butyl ether, the chromatographic separation was carried out on an ACE Excel 2 Super C18 column (50 mm×2.1 mm ID, 1.7 μm) with a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 2 mmol·L-1 ammonium formate at a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min-1. The quantitation analysis was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) at the specific ion transitions of m/z 418.9[M-H]-→401.2 for obeticholic acid and m/z 469.0[M-H]-→ 425.2 for glycyrrhetinic acid (internal standard) in the negative ion mode with electrospray ionization (ESI) source. This validated LC-MS/MS method yielded a good linearity over the range of 5 -5 000 ng·mL-1 with the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 5 ng·mL-1. The intra and inter-assay precisions (RSD) were all less than 9.82% and the accuracy (RE) was within ±6.90%. The extraction recovery of obeticholic acid was from 85.4% to 88.5%, and the matrix effect of obeticholic acid ranged from 78.9% to 82.5%. Stability test suggest that obeticholic acid in rat plasma was stable for 24 h on workbench, up to 1 month at -70℃, and after three cycles of freeze-thaw. Extracted samples were stable for more than 24 h in an auto-sampler at 6℃. The precision was less than 7.25%, and the accuracy was within ±11.2%, after being diluted 10 times by blank rat plasma. The method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of obeticholic acid in rats following oral administration at the dose of 2.5 mg·kg-1.

Baicalin attenuates high fat diet-induced insulin resistance and ectopic fat storage in skeletal muscle, through modulating the protein kinase B/Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta pathway / 中国天然药物

Insulin resistance is the pathophysiological basis of many diseases. Overcoming early insulin resistance highly significant in prevention diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and atherosclerosis. The present study aimed at evaluating the therapeutic effects of baicalin on insulin resistance and skeletal muscle ectopic fat storage in high fat diet-induced mice, and exploring the potential molecular mechanisms. Insulin resistance in mice was induced with a high fat diet for 16 weeks. Animals were then treated with three different doses of baicalin (100, 200, and 400 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 14 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, fasting serum insulin, glucose tolerance test (GTT), insulin tolerance test (ITT), and skeletal muscle lipid deposition were measured. Additionally, the AMP-activated protein kinase/acetyl-CoA carboxylase and protein kinase B/Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta pathways in skeletal muscle were further evaluated. Baicalin significantly reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose and fasting serum insulin and attenuated high fat diet induced glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance. Moreover, insulin resistance was significantly reversed. Pathological analysis revealed baicalin dose-dependently decreased the degree of the ectopic fat storage in skeletal muscle. The properties of baicalin were mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the AMPK/ACC pathway, a key regulator of de novo lipogenesis and activation of the Akt/GSK-3β pathway, a key regulator of Glycogen synthesis. These data suggest that baicalin, at dose up to 400 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), is safe and able to attenuate insulin resistance and skeletal muscle ectopic fat storage, through modulating the skeletal muscle AMPK/ACC pathway and Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

LC-MS/MS Method for Quantification of Liquiritigenin in Rat Plasma: Application to Pharmacokinetic Study of Liquiritin / 中草药·英文版

Objective: A simple, sensitive, and rapid LC-MS/MS method has been established and validated for the determination of liquiritigenin (LG) in rat plasma. Methods: Naringenin was chosen as internal standard (IS). LG and IS were separated on a Diamonsil C18 analytical column with a mobile phase of methanol-10% methanol in water containing 0.5 mmol/L ammonium formate and 0.2% formic acid (55:45) at the isocratic flow rate of 0.6 mL/min for 10 min. The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was performed on a mass spectrometer in the negative ion mode with electro-spray ionization (ESI) source and the transition from precursor ion to product ion was m/z 255.0→119.0 for LG and m/z 271.0→151.0 for IS, respectively. Results: The linearity was acceptable in the range of 5-5000 ng/mL (r = 0.9973). The inter-day and intra-day accuracies were in the ranges of -0.09%-3.25% and -5.02%-9.21%, respectively. The precision was in the ranges of 3.60%-12.4% and 0.909%-6.89%, respectively. LG was stable in the course of analysis and storage. Conclusion: The LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study for the first time in rats after ig and iv administration of liquiritin (LQ), a glycoside of LG, at pharmacologically effective levels.

The in vitro inhibition and induction of cytochrome P450 activities by bentysrepinine: a novel candidate of anti-hepatitis B virus drug / 药学学报

Bentysrepinine (Y101), a derivative of phenyalanine dipeptide, has a novel mechanism in the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with a good anti-HBV effect. In the present study, a fluorometric-based high throughput method using cytochrome P450 (CYP) screening kit was adopted to evaluate in vitro inhibition potential of Y101 on CYP isoenzymes by calculating remaining enzyme activities and inhibitory potential (IC50 values) using the determined values of fluorescence intensity. The result showed that Y101 exhibited little activity in the inhibition of CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 (IC50 > 100 μmol·L-1). Y101 was used to treat human primary hepotocytes for 72 h, and the enzyme activities of CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 were determined with a cocktail of probe substrates for the three CYP isoforms. The metabolites were simultaneously determined using a LC-MS/MS method. Y101 had no activity in the induction of CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 on the basis of the following results:① The ratio of enzyme activities between test and control groups were all below than 1 (varied from 0.662 to 0.928); ② The induction potential of Y101 were lower than forty percent compared with that of positive groups. The above results suggest that Y101 has little activity in the regulation of metabolic drug-drug interactions based on the CYP isoform changes following co-administration of drugs.

In vivo metabolic pathway of liquiritin in rats / 中草药

Objective: To study the in vivo metabolic pathways of liquiritin (LQ) in rats. Methods: An HPLC-QTRAP-MS method was established and applied to identify the metabolites of LQ in bile, urine, feces, and plasma after ig administration of LQ (300 mg/kg) to rats. Results: A total of nine metabolites were found in rats. The major metabolic pathway of LQ was deglucosidation to liquiritigenin (LG) and dehydration, glucuronidation, and sulfation of LG. Conclusion: LQ undergoes extensive phases I and II metabolism in rats. The major metabolites of LQ are LG and its glucuronides and sulfates.