H nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics reveals sex-specific metabolic changes of gastrodin intervention in rats

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES@#To explore (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics on sex-specific metabolic changes of gastrodin intervention in rats.@*METHODS@#In this research, (1)H NMR-based metabolomics was used for the first time to investigate metabolic changes following chronic intervention with gastrodin in rats.@*RESULTS@#24 endogenous metabolites were identified. Body weight, daily diet and the total volume of urine in in each day of each rat were measured synchronously. Modifications in 12 metabolites were observed following gastrodin intervention, indicating gastrodin-induced alterations in carbohydrate and energy metabolism. Interestingly, these metabolic changes were not totally identical in female and male rats. Some metabolic changes arising from gastrodin intervention showed sexual dimorphism including LDL/VLDL and lactate which were on the decrease in the female but on the increase in the male, together with arginine/ornithine, creatine, and glycerol which were on the increase in the female but on the decrease in the male. While the decrease in pyruvate, succinate and glutamate was only shown in the male and the increase in valine, α-ketoglutarate, glycine and glucose was only in the female.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This research shows the sex-specific metabolic response to GAS intervention, weather GAS is a healthy dietary supplement for the male merits further investigation.