Deciphering chemical and metabolite profiling of Chang-Kang-Fang by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and its potential active components identification / 中国天然药物

Chang-Kang-Fang (CKF) formula, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription, has been widely used for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, its potential material basis and underlying mechanism remain elusive. Therefore, this study employed an integrated approach that combined ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) with network pharmacology to systematically characterize the phytochemical components and metabolites of CKF, as well as elucidating its underlying mechanism. Through this comprehensive analysis, a total of 150 components were identified or tentatively characterized within the CKF formula. Notably, six N-acetyldopamine oligomers from CicadaePeriostracum and eight resin glycosides from Cuscutae Semen were characterized in this formula for the first time. Meanwhile, 149 xenobiotics (58 prototypes and 91 metabolites) were detected in plasma, urine, feces, brain, and intestinal contents, and the in vivo metabolic pathways of resin glycosides were elaborated for the first time. Furthermore, network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that alkaloids, flavonoids, chromones, monoterpenes, N-acetyldopamine dimers, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, and Cus-3/isomer might be responsible for the beneficial effects of CKF in treating IBS, and CASP8, MARK14, PIK3C, PIK3R1, TLR4, and TNF may be its potential targets. These discoveries offer a comprehensive understanding of the potential material basis and clarify the underlying mechanism of the CKF formula in treating IBS, facilitating the broader application of CKF in the field of medicine.

Effects of Lipoic Acid on Proteinuria,Serum and Urine MCP -1 Secretion in Patients with Stage IV Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy / 医学研究杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of on serum and urine MCP -1 secretion in patients with Stage IV Type 2 diabetic nephropathy treated by lipoic acid .Methods We enrolled 76 diabetic nephropathy patients ,who were randomly divided into two groups . Patients in group T (24 males and 14 females) were treated by lipoic acid 0.6 gram per day.Those in group C (22 males and 16 fe-males) were treated by routine drugs.The serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen (BUN), fasting blood sugar(FBS) and 24h urinary pro-tein,serum and urine MCP -1 secretion were measured at the experiment onset and 3 weeks later.Results There was no significant difference in the serum creatinine , urea nitrogen, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c between the two groups neither at the experiment onset nor after 3 weeks.Compared to experiment onset , 24h urine protein (Tp/24h), serum and urine MCP-1 secretion were all significantly de-creased (P<0.05) in group T after 3 weeks.Compared to group C (2.41 ±0.91g/24h, 91.45 ±33.41pg/ml, 114.78 ±36.35pg/ml), all the levers in group T (1.89 ±0.72g/24h, 39.50 ±13.68pg/ml, 63.41 ±19.57pg/ml) was significantly decreased (P<0.05) after 3 weeks.There was a positive correlation between the serum , urine MCP-1 levels and Tp/24h (r=0.572, P<0.05;r=0.697,P<0.05).Conclusion Lipoic acid can reduce urine protein excretion in diabetic nephropathy patients , maybe by decreasing serum and u-rine MCP-1 secretion .