基于“异类相制”的雷公藤复方配伍减毒代谢组学研究

采用基于气相色谱质谱联用技术(GC-MS/MS)的代谢组学方法,分析雷公藤复方配伍前后对大鼠血浆中内源性代谢物的变化,以期阐明基于"异类相制"中医理论的清络通痹方对雷公藤的配伍减毒机制。通过GC-MS/MS分析获得空白对照组、雷公藤组和清络通痹方组大鼠血浆代谢轮廓,正交偏最小二乘法-判别分析(OPLS-DA)显示3组在得分图上区分明显,清络通痹方组各观测值存在着向正常组移动的趋势,提示了清络通痹方的配伍减毒功效。通过变量重要性投影(VIP)值和单因素方差分析筛选差异性代谢物,发现雷公藤组中生糖氨基酸包括丙氨酸、谷氨酰胺、丝氨酸、脯氨酸等水平显著升高,支链氨基酸缬氨酸和异亮氨基酸水平下降,清络通痹方则能够逆转氨基酸水平的紊乱。进一步的代谢通路分析提示清络通痹方配伍减毒机制可能与谷氨酸和谷氨酰胺代谢,丙氨酸、天冬氨酸和谷氨酸代谢以及甘氨酸、丝氨酸和苏氨酸代谢相关。该研究从代谢的角度,说明了雷公藤肝脏毒性的发生与氨基酸代谢,能量代谢等过程密切相关,而清络通痹方通过改善机体氨基酸水平发挥配伍减毒作用。

Metabolomics analysis of Tripterygium wilfordii formulation based on theory of detoxicity compatibility

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. induced-hepatotoxicity was the main limitation for its usage in clinic. Qingluo Tongbi formulation showed obvious attenuation for hepatotoxicity in clinic and fundamental research in vivo. To explore the potential mechanism of the attenuation, we conducted a study on the plasma metabolomic profiles of T. wilfordii and Qingluo Tongbi formulation in rats by a sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) method. In plasma samples, a total of 72 compounds were analyzed by EI source MS, and were successfully identified by matching NIST database. The semi-quantification results were then calculated by OPLS-DA model with SIMCA-P 13.0 software. The three groups were clearly distinguished in OPLS-DA score plot. In addition, the observation values of Qingluo Tongbi formulation showed the obvious trend towards the control levels, suggesting the detoxicity effect of the formulation. Variation metabolites were further analyzed by VIP and One Way ANOVAs, and the results showed a significant increase in compounds of glycogenic amino acids, such as alanine, proline, serine and glutamine after the administration of T. wilfordii, indicated that the tissue proteins were decomposed and amino acids were leakage into blood. Qingluo Tongbi formulation could reverse the amino acids into normal level. On the contrary, the levels of glucose, lactic acid and hydroxy butyrate decrease, and the formulation can relieve the disorder in the levels of lactic acid, suggesting the regulation of the energy metabolism. Additionally, the level of branched chain amino acid was decreased, suggested the toxicity was induced, but the formulation cannot increase it into the normal levels. Nevertheless, all the above results suggested that the classical Qingluo Tongbi formulation displayed the liver protection effect by adjusting the amino acid levels and regulating the energy metabolism. Qingluo Tongbi formulation was developed based on traditional Chinese medicine theory "detoxicity compatibility", and contained Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen to nourish blood and absorb clots. Modern pharmacology suggested that its liver protection effect was correlated with the promotion of protein synthesis. Another important herb is Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch., which can regulate the energy metabolism. Both were consistent with the metabolomic results in this study, which explained the potential mechanism of "detoxicity compatibility" theory. Therefore, the currently developed metabolomic approach and the obtained results would be highly useful for the comprehensive toxicity studies for other herbal medicines and various complex deoxicity formulations.