Lipid Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Chains in Mouse Kidneys Were Increased within 5 min of a Single High Dose Whole Body Irradiation.

To understand the ultra-early reaction of normal organ lipids during irradiation, we investigated the response of lipids, including polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) chains, which are particularly susceptible to damage by ROS, in mice's kidneys, lungs, brains, and livers within 5 min of single high-dose irradiation. In this study, we set up three groups of C56BL/6 male mice and conducted whole-body irradiation with 0 Gy, 10 Gy, and 20 Gy single doses. Kidney, lung, brain, and liver tissues were collected within 5 min of irradiation. PUFA-targeted and whole lipidomic analyses were conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that PUFA chains of kidney phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and triacylglycerol (TG) significantly increased within 5 min of 10 Gy and 20 Gy irradiation. The main components of increased PUFA chains in PC and PE were C18:2, C20:4, and C22:6, and in TG the main component was C18:2. The kidney lipidomes also showed significant changes from the perspective of lipid species, mainly dominated by an increase in PC, PE, TG, and signal lipids, while lipidomes of the lung, brain, and liver were slightly changed. Our results revealed that acute PUFA chains increase and other lipidomic changes in the kidney upon whole-body irradiation within 5 min of irradiation. The significantly increased lipids also showed a consistent preference for possessing PUFA chains. The lipidomic changes varied from organ to organ, which indicates that the response upon irradiation within a short time is tissue-specific.

Cinnamomum verum J. Presl Bark Contains High Contents of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide.

The global population is aging, and intervention strategies for anti-aging and the prevention of aging-related diseases have become a topic actively explored today. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an important molecule in the metabolic process, and its content in tissues and cells decreases with age. The supplementation of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an important intermediate and precursor of NAD+, has increased NAD+ levels, and its safety has been demonstrated in rodents and human studies. However, the high content of NMN in natural plants has not been fully explored as herbal medicines for drug development. Here, we identified that the leaf of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (C. verum) was the highest NMN content among the Plant Extract Library (PEL) with food experience, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). To validate this result, the extraction and quantitative analysis of bark, leaf, root, and stem of fresh C. verum was conducted. The results revealed that the bark had the highest NMN content in C. verum (0.471 mg/100 g). Our study shed light on the prospects of developing natural plants in the context of NMN as drugs for anti-aging and prevention of aging-related diseases. The future should focus on the development and application of C. verum pharmaceutical formulations.

Pharmacokinetic study of Ninjin'yoeito: Absorption and brain distribution of Ninjin'yoeito ingredients in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a Japanese traditional Kampo medicine, has been reported to exert various clinical benefits such as relief from fatigue, malaise, anorexia, frailty, sarcopenia, and cognitive dysfunction. Recently, some review articles described the pharmacological effects of NYT and additionally indicated the possibility that multiple ingredients in NYT contribute to these effects. However, pharmacokinetic data on the ingredients are essential in addition to data on their pharmacological activities to accurately determine the active ingredients in NYT. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study assessed the in vivo pharmacokinetics of NYT using mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Target liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and wide target LC-MS or LC-tandem MS of NYT ingredients in plasma and the brain after oral administration of NYT were performed. Imaging MS was performed to investigate the detailed brain distributions of NYT ingredients. RESULTS: The concentrations of 13 ingredients in plasma and schizandrin in the brain were quantified via target LC-MS, and the wide target analysis illustrated that several ingredients are absorbed into blood and transported into the brain. Imaging MS revealed that schizandrin was homogenously dispersed in the NYT-treated mouse brain. CONCLUSION: These results should be useful for clarifying the active ingredients of NYT and their mechanisms of actions.