Metabolomic analysis of simvastatin and fenofibrate intervention in high-lipid diet-induced hyperlipidemia rats.

AIM: To investigate the metabolite changes caused by simvastatin or fenofibrate intervention in diet-induced hyperlipidemia rats using a GC-MS-based metabolomic profiling approach. METHODS: SD rats were fed with high-lipid diet for 4 weeks to induce hyperlipidemia, then the rats were fed with normal diet, and orally administered with simvastatin (10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) or fenofibrate (150 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected once a week, and potential biomarkers were examined using commercial assay kits and a metabolomic approach. The metabolomics data were analyzed using a multivariate statistical technique and a principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: Oral administration of simvastatin or fenofibrate significantly decreased the plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increased the plasma level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the hyperlipidemia rats. Plasma samples were scattered in the PCA scores plots in response to the diet and to the drugs administered. The main metabolites changed in the hyperlipidemia rats were cholesterol, creatinine, linoleic acid, ß-hydroxybutyric acid, tyrosine, isoleucine and ornithine. The plasma level of creatinine was significantly lower in the simvastatin-treated rats than in the fenofibrate-treated rats. The plasma tyrosine concentration was declined following intake of high-lipid diet, which was reversed by fenobrate, but not by simvastatin. CONCLUSION: A series of potential biomarkers including tyrosine, creatinine, linoleic acid, ß-hydroxybutyric acid and ornithine have been identified by metabolomic profiling, which may be used to identify the metabolic changes during hyperlipidemia progression.

[Purification capacity of ditch wetland to agricultural non-point pollutants].

Ditch wetlands have the capacity to remove and purify non-point pollutants from agricultural drainage by sediment retention, plant absorption and microorganism decomposition. Phragmites communis and Zizania latifolia are two main kinds of plants growing naturally in ditch wetlands in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. They can absorb N and P efficiently, which is the main mechanism of non-point source pollutants purification by wetlands. The harvest of Phragmites communis and Zizania latifolia will take away 463-515 kg/hm2 of N and 127-149 kg/hm2 of P each year, it equal to N and P discharged from 2.3-3.2 hm2 and 1.3-3.0 hm2 of fields respectively in this area. The absorption and decomposition capacity of Zizania latifolia wetland is higher than Phragmites communis wetland. After harvest of plants, wetlands are uncovered to sunlight and oxygen that speeds the transportation and decomposition of nutrients. The amount of organic matters, TN and TP are higher in sediment of harvested area than in that of control. Therefore, seasonal harvest of plants is an efficient measure for wetlands to purify nutrients and alleviate eutrophication of lakes.