Explore the effects of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang on Alzheimer's disease by UPLC-QTOF/MS-based plasma metabolomics study.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with neither definitive pathogenesis nor effective treatment method so far. Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT) is a classic formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) proven to have ameliorative effects on learning and memory deficits of dementia. Morris water maze (MWM) test and pathology analysis have demonstrated that HLJDT could ameliorate learning and memory deficits in AD mouse model, which may act via its anti-neuroinflammation properties. According to our previous studies, an UPLC-QTOF/MS-based metabolomics approach was performed to explore the potential mechanisms of HLJDT on preventing AD. As a result, a total of 23 potential metabolites (VIP >1, |Pcorr| >0.58, CUFjk excludes 0, P < 0.05) contributing to AD progress were identified. The metabolic pathway analysis with MetPA revealed that glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism and tryptophan metabolism were disturbed in mouse model of AD. After HLJDT treatment, 14 metabolites were restored back to the control-like levels.

[Mechanism of treatment effect of Huanglian-Huangqin herb pairs on cerebral ischemia rats based on metabolomic approach].

The metabolic effect of Huanglian-Huangqin herb pairs on cerebral ischemia rats was studied by using metabolomic method. The rat model of ischemia reperfusion injury induced by introduction of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-series four pole time of flight mass spectrometry method（UPLC-Q-TOF/MS）, Markerlynx software, and principal component analysis and partial least-squares discriminant analysis were used to analyze the different endogenous metabolites among the urine samples of sham rats, cerebral ischemia model rats, Huanglian groups (HL), Huangqin groups (HQ) and Huanglian-Huangqin herb pairs groups (LQ) was achieved, combined with accurate information about the endogenous metabolites level and secondary fragment ions, retrieval and identification of possible biological markers, metabolic pathway which build in MetPA database. The 20 potential biomarkers were found in the urine of rats with cerebral ischemia, which mainly involved in the neurotransmitter regulation, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism and so on. Those metabolic pathways were disturbed in cerebral ischemia model rats, the principal component analysis showed that the normal and cerebral ischemia model is clearly distinguished, and the compound can be given to the normal state of change after HL, HQ, LQ administration. This study index the interpretation of cerebral ischemia rat metabolism group and mechanism, the embodiment of metabonomics can reflect the physiological and metabolic state, which can better reflect the traditional Chinese medicine as a whole view, system view and the features of multi ingredient synergistic or antagonistic effects.