代谢组学在高血压研究中的应用

高血压是一种最常见的慢性病,是多种心、脑血管疾病的重要危险因素。由于其多基因、多因素及异质性的特征,病理机制尚未完全阐明,也未收到令人完全满意的疗效。代谢组学以整体的视角对生物体的代谢网络变化进行研究,并将代谢物与生物过程关联起来,揭示机体变化。近年来,研究者们将代谢组学方法运用于高血压的研究,分别从发病机制、潜在生物标志物、生活方式干预的影响、降压药物起效机制等方面,以人或动物的血液、尿液或组织中代谢产物为研究对象,运用非靶向或靶向的思路开展研究。肠道菌群、氧化应激、脂肪酸、氨基酸等代谢通路成为新的关注点,由此发现的代谢物(组)有可能作为潜在的生物标志物,进一步成为高血压早期诊断的依据以及治疗的靶点。此外,中医药无论在辨证或者治疗上都是一个整体复杂系统,代谢组学与之十分契合,中医药工作者也将该方法运用于高血压中医辨证分型的生物学基础及降压中药作用机制的阐明。不同证型之间代谢物组有明显差异,中药治疗可以在很大程度上恢复高血压带来的代谢物扰动,这很可能是中药降压的药理途径之一。近年来高血压代谢组学研究已取得诸多进展,但在数据分析与整合(不同研究之间、不同组学之间)及因果关系的探讨等方面仍面临挑战。

Overview of Metabolomics in Research of Hypertension

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases, also an important risk factor for a series of cardio-and cerebra-vascular diseases. Due to its polygenic, multi-factorial nature and heterogeneity, the underlying cause has not been fully elucidated, satisfied therapeutic effect hasn''t been totally achieved either. Metabolomics is used to evaluate metabolic changes of organisms from a holistic perspective, associating with biological processes to reveal the whole situation of the body. In recent years, researchers have used metabolomics to study the pathogenesis of hypertension, potential biomarkers, effects of lifestyle interventions, and mechanisms of antihypertensive drugs. Targeted or untargeted ways are applied to study metabolites form blood, urine, or tissues of human or animals. Metabolic pathways of gut microflora, oxidative stress, fatty acids, and amino acids have drawn more attention, and the discovered metabolites may become potential biomarkers, further the diagnostic biomarkers and treatment targets. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an integrated complex system in syndrome diagnosis and treatment, and metabolomics coincides well with the concepts of it. TCM researchers also use this method to study the biological basis of syndromes in hypertension and the mechanism of antihypertensive Chinese medicine. There are significant differences in the metabolites between different syndromes. TCM treatments can restore the metabolite disturbance caused by high pressure, which is probably one of the pharmacological pathways of antihypertensive Chinese medicine. Metabolomic studies in hypertension have achieved great progress, but there''re still challenges in data analysis, integration with other metabolomic studies and other omic studies and causal relationship in further study.