The Metabonomics Study Of Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction On The Acute Exacerbation Of Asthma

Asthma is a common respiratory disease which is seriously threat to the public health. Shaoyao-Gancao decoction (SGD) was originally described in Treatise on Febrile Diseases. It was a traditional classic prescription for treating cough and gasp, and widely used in anti-inflammatory, analgesia and spasmolysis. In the present study, based on the complexity of chemical compounds and multi-targets effects of Chinese herbs and TCM concept of organic wholeness, metabolomics was used to investigate the mechanisms and effects of SGD on asthma. The contents was mainly as follows:1. A rat model of asthma was developed by OVA sensitization and inhalation. SD rats were systemically sensitized twice with an intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL saline which contained 100 mg OVA and 100 mg aluminum hydroxide. Then the rats were intranasal stimulated by OVA each day for 1 weeks to maintain the asthma condition. The results showed that a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells into peribronchiolar tissues was observed in model rats. Compared to the control group, the percentage of eosinophils in the BALF of model rats were significantly increased (P< 0.01). The total serum Ig E levels were also significantly elevated in the model compared to control. Compared to model group, the assessment of rat models which was mentioned above improved in the SGD treatment group.2. A 1H NMR method was applied to plasma metabolite profiling study. The results showed that there were 8 differences metabolites between treatment and model group, these metabolites as follow:valine, arginine, choline, O-phosphocholine, betaine, tyrosine and trimethylaminen-N-oxide were significantly increased in treatment group while histidine was decreased.3. A’H NMR method was applied to urine metabolite profiling study. The results showed that there were 16 differences metabolites between treatment and model group, the level of lactate, acetate, creatine, betaine, taurine, formate, cytidine,1-methylhistamine, fumarate, malate and bile acid were significantly decreased and together with the increased level of histidine, hippurate, creatinine, tyrosine and carnitine.4. The HPLC-QTOF-MS method was developed for urine metabolite profiling study and MPP software were used for the clustering and biomarker searching. The results showed that there were ninteen differences metabolites between the treatment group and the model group, these metabolites as follow:glycine, arginine, citric acid, hippuric acid, leucine, urocanic acid, dimethylarginine, uric acid, diethylmalate,3-indoleacetic acid, acetylcarnitine, isoleucine, methionine,5-methylcytidine and 1-methyl-5-imidazoleacetic acid were significantly increased in model group of asthma while phenylalanine, lactate, creatine and nicotinuric acid were decreased.5. Shaoyao-Gancao decoction could effectively adjust the imbalances of glycolysis, TCA and the metabolism of amino acids in the rat model of asthma.