Abstract
Schisandra chinensis (SC) is a well-known important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used to treat liver disease in China for a long time. However, its overall effects and mechanism of action are unclear. The present study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of SC in protection against alcoholic liver injury (ALI). In this research, to enable a full assessment of metabolic changes in ALI in Sprague-Dawley rats and to increase our understanding of physiological changes in normal and pathological states, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS) was used to probe potential biomarkers to learn more about ALI and to evaluate the overall effect of SC for ALI in rats. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to investigate global metabolomic alterations and to evaluate the therapeutic effects of SC in rats. The component–target–pathway network of SC was then constructed on the basis of the network pharmacology, and the liver injury-relevant signaling pathways were thus dissected and validated. The results showed that SC has conspicuous therapeutic efficacy for ALI, as suggested by the results of the pathological section and biochemical index assays, such as those for Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (AKP), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT/GGT), Reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, 21 kinds of potential biomarkers were identified in plasma samples of ALI rats, and 20 kinds of potential biomarkers were identified in their bile samples. The biomarkers were mainly related to inflammation and dysfunctions of amino acids and energy metabolism. The recovery of these dysfunctions partly led to the curative effect of SC on ALI.
Highlights
Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (Bei Wuweizi) is a broadly used Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission [CPC], 2015a)
In order to determine whether Schisandra chinensis (SC) can reduce the liver damage in alcohol-treated rats, we measured the activities of ALT, AST, AKP, GGT, ROS, and MDA in serum (Figure 3)
The results showed that the concentration of 5-phosphonyl-Llysine in bile increased significantly in liver-injury rats, indicating that the ALI model is closely related to amino acid metabolism disorder. 5-phosphonyl-L-lysine is the substrate of hydroxyl lysine kinase and 5-phospho hydroxyl-L-lysine phosphatase, while hydroxyl lysine kinase and 5-phospho hydroxyl-L-lysine phosphatase are necessary enzymes for regulating lysine phosphorylation and controlling cell growth and differentiation
Summary
Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (Bei Wuweizi) is a broadly used TCM (Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission [CPC], 2015a). Modern scientific research has proved that SC contains lignans, essential oils, organic acids, and the chemical composition of vitamins, triterpenoids, sesquiterpene, and polysaccharides etc., and that the lignans are the main active ingredient among them (Cheng et al, 2014; Hu et al, 2014; Zhu et al, 2015). They have beneficial pharmacological action, including a hepatoprotective effect, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-HIV, and antiviral activity, and antagonistic activity toward platelet-activating factor (Chun et al, 2014; Liu et al, 2014; Xue et al, 2015: Zhong et al, 2015). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted more and more attention due to its minor side effects and widespread use in clinical practice
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