Protective effect of Xiebaisan on allergic asthma in rats based on non-targeted metabolomics and intestinal bacterial flora / 中国实验动物学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the possible mechanism of Xiebaisan in protecting against allergic asthma in rats from the perspective of host intestinal flora metabolism.Methods SPF SD rats were divided into normal group(NC group),model group(M group),and Xiebaisan group.The allergic asthma rat model was established by ovalbumin.Changes in lung histopathology were observed by HE staining.Colon contents were harvested for 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing to assess changes in the intestinal flora structure and function.Serum and lung tissue samples were collected for non-targeted metabolomics by Ultra-high performance liquid-time-of-flight mass spectrometer.Results HE staining showed some improvement of lung histomorphology in asthmatic rats in the Xiebaisan group compared with that in the M group.16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing showed that the diversity of intestinal flora was decreased in the M group and increased in the Xiebaisan group compared with the M group,the microecosystem of intestinal was improved.Non-targeted metabolomics of serum showed regulation of amino acid metabolism and the mTOR pathway in the Xiebaisan group,and partially reversed differential metabolite expression in the M group.Non-targeted metabonomics of lung tissue samples showed regulation of carbon metabolism,vascular smooth muscle and cAMP signaling pathways in the Xiebaisan group,and partially reversed differential metabolite expression in the M group.Conclusions The protective effects of Xiebaisan on allergic asthma in rats may be related to improvement of the morphological structure of lung tissue,the diversity of intestinal flora,and regulation of mTOR,vascular smooth muscle contraction,and cAMP pathways,which affect amino acid and carbon metabolism.