Analysis on Urine Metabolomics of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma Extract Against Acute Gouty Arthritis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the effect of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma extract (DNRe) on rats with acute gouty arthritis (AGA) based on urine metabolomics and to search for the related potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways. Method:Rat model of AGA induced by monosodium urate (MSU) was selected, 40 rats were randomly divided into the blank group (k), the DNRe group (g), the model group (m), and the DNRe treatment group (gm), with 10 rats in each group. The drug-administered group was administered with DNRe at a dose of 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 5 days. The urine was gathered after the last administration, and analyzed with UPLC-Q-TOF/MS coupled with pattern recognition techniques, electrospray ionization (ESI) under positive and negative ion scanning mode was adopted, data collection range was m/z 100-1 500 with full scanning mode. Result:A total of 12 common potential biomarkers were identified as sarcosine, dimethylglycine, deoxycytidine, uric acid, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), L-cystathionine, 4-pyridoxic acid, deoxyuridine, melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, fumaric acid and cytidine. Compared with the blank group, the 12 potential biomarkers in the DNRe group were significantly down-regulated. Compare with the model group, 10 metabolites were up-regulated and 2 metabolites were down-regulated in the 12 potential biomarkers of the DNRe treatment group, the abnormal expression of 10 markers including sarcosine, uric acid, L-cystathionine, 4-pyridoxic acid, deoxyuridine, 5-methoxytryptamine, cytidine, dimethylglycine, melatonin, fumaric acid could be modulated by DNRe. The strongest metabolic pathways associated with AGA were cysteine and methionine metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. Conclusion:The effect of DNRe on AGA may be related to the promotion of conversion level from cystathionine to cysteine in the cysteine and methionine metabolism, and the up-regulating melatonin level in tryptophan metabolism.