The Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula mKG on Allergic Asthma by Regulating Lung and Plasma Metabolic Alternations.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway and is characterized by airway remodeling, hyperresponsiveness, and shortness of breath. Modified Kushen Gancao Formula (mKG), derived from traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCM), has been demonstrated to have good therapeutic effects on experimental allergic asthma. However, its anti-asthma mechanism remains currently unknown. In the present work, metabolomics studies of biochemical changes in the lung tissue and plasma of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma mice with mKG treatment were performed using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that the metabolic perturbation induced by OVA was reduced after mKG treatment. A total of twenty-four metabolites involved in seven metabolic pathways were identified as potential biomarkers in the development of allergic asthma. Among them, myristic acid (L3 or P2), sphinganine (L6 or P4), and lysoPC(15:0) (L12 or P16) were detected both in lung tissue and plasma. Additionally, l-acetylcarnitine (L1), thromboxane B2 (L2), 10-HDoHE (L10), and 5-HETE (L11) were first reported to be potential biomarkers associated with allergic asthma. The treatment of mKG mediated all of those potential biomarkers except lysoPC(15:0) (P16). The anti-asthma mechanism of mKG can be achieved through the comprehensive regulation of multiple perturbed biomarkers and metabolic pathways.

Differential effect of cheese fatty acid composition on blood lipid profile and redox status in normolipidemic volunteers: a pilot study.

The present study investigated the effect of the consumption of two cheese varieties differing for fat quality on blood lipid profile and redox status biomarkers in 30 selected healthy volunteers, consuming either the experimental cheese (from milk produced by cows fed a grass and maize silage based diet with 5% of linseed oil added) or the control cheese (from normal cows' milk) for 4 weeks according to a crossover design. The experimental cheese had a lower content of medium-chain saturated fatty acids and a higher content of stearic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids; its consumption led to higher levels of vitamins C and E and stearic acid in blood, while myristic acid and oxidized low-density lipoprotein concentrations were significantly lower. As myristic acid and oxidized low-density lipoprotein are highly correlated with increased atherogenic risk and vitamins C and E with antioxidant activity, the enrichment of cows' diet with linseed oil could provide a dietary option to prevent cardiovascular diseases risk.

Dietary myristic acid at physiologically relevant levels increases the tissue content of C20:5 n-3 and C20:3 n-6 in the rat.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of myristic acid on the biosynthesis and metabolism of highly unsaturated fatty acids, when it is supplied in a narrow physiological range in the diet of the rat (0.2-1.2% of total dietary energy). Three experimental diets were designed, containing 22% of total dietary energy as lipids and increasing doses of myristic acid (0.71, 3.00 and 5.57% of total fatty acids). Saturated fat did not exceed 31% of total fat and the C18:3 n-3 amount in each diet was strictly equal (1.6% of total fatty acids). After 7 weeks, the diets had no effect on plasma cholesterol level but greatly modified the liver, plasma and adipose tissue saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles. Firstly, daily intakes of myristic acid resulted in a dose-dependent tissue accumulation of myristic acid itself. Palmitic acid was significantly increased in the tissues of the rats fed the higher dose of myristic acid. A dose-response accumulation of tissue C16:1 n-7 as a function of dietary C14:0 was also shown. Secondly, a main finding was that, among n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, a dose-response accumulation of liver and plasma C20:5 n-3 and C20:3 n-6 (two precursors of eicosanoids) as a function of dietary C14:0 was shown. This result suggests that dietary myristic acid may participate in the regulation of highly unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism.

Influence of myristic acid supplementation on energy, fatty acid and calcium metabolism of sheep as affected by dietary calcium and forage : concentrate ratio.

In a 6 x 6 Latin square arrangement, sheep of 41 kg body weight were fed myristic acid [C14:0; 50 g/kg dry matter (DM)] supplemented to two basal diets of forage : concentrate ratios of 1 : 1.5 and 1 : 0.5 and adjusted to dietary calcium (Ca) contents of either 4.2 or 9.0 g/kg DM (the latter only together with C14:0 supplementation). Various variables of energy, fatty acid and Ca metabolism were determined in combined digestibility and respiratory chamber measurements. With C14:0 addition the energy loss via the faeces increased (p < 0.05, post hoc test) without affecting energy digestibility of the complete diet. The apparent digestibility of supplemented C14:0 was higher (p < 0.01) with approximately 0.8 in the forage-based diet than in the concentrate-based diet (approximately 0.6). The elevated levels of plasma C14:0 were mainly accompanied by reduced C18:0 and C18:1 levels. The estimated apparent content of metabolizable energy (ME) of added C14:0 was either 24.5 MJ/kg (concentrate-based diet) or 32.1 MJ/kg (forage-based diet). Extra Ca equalized these differences between basal diets and ME contents amounted to 33.0 MJ/kg on average. As expected from corresponding slight shifts in energy metabolizability, the total efficiency of ME utilization increased (p < 0.1) with C14:0. The lower level of dietary Ca was still within the range recommended, but adding C14:0 to the concentrate-based diet reduced Ca retention in the body of the sheep from 0.9 to -0.1 g/day because of an impaired (p < 0.05, post hoc test) net Ca absorption, whereas no effect was found with the forage-based diet. With C14:0 addition, plasma total phosphorus (P) and serum calcitrol levels increased (p < 0.05, post hoc test) while Ca concentrations did not clearly reflect the reduced net Ca absorption. Increasing the dietary Ca content prevented adverse effects on Ca retention in the concentrate-based diet and improved Ca retention in the forage-based diet. In conclusion, the C14:0 supplementation reduced Ca availability in concentrate-based diets while an additional supply of Ca improved Ca and energy retention. Consequently, Ca supply should exceed recommended levels in diet types where dietary lipids are likely to reduce Ca availability and a compromise in basal diet type has to found to be able to profit best from the energetic value and the methane-suppressing properties of C14:0.

Inborn errors of metabolism with a protein-restricted diet: effect on polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Previous studies have shown that phenylketonuric patients display a deficiency in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. A study has now been performed on 13 cases (5 with methylmalonic acidaemia and 8 with urea cycle disorders) whose dietary treatment also implies a limitation in protein-rich food. Plasma and red-cell phospholipid fatty acid profiles were studied. The most relevant results were a lower percentage of docosahexaenoic acid in plasma and red-cell phospholipids (0.91% +/- 0.53% vs 2.88% +/- 1.17% and 2.07% +/- 0.92% vs 3.62% +/- 1.01% (p < 0.001)) and a lower percentage of arachidonic acid in plasma (5.22% +/- 2.02% vs 8.3% +/- 2.11% (p < 0.001)). A long-chain polyunsaturated acid deficiency has also been confirmed in this group of metabolic patients and a dietary supplement is recommended since this population is subject to a special risk factor with regard to adequate psychomotor development. By extrapolating these data to the general population, the possibility can be inferred that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are semi-essential in infant nutrition far beyond the breast-feeding period.