PubMed

Related Articles Sex differences in the association of phospholipids with components of the metabolic syndrome in young adults. Biol Sex Differ. 2017;8:10 Authors: Rauschert S, Uhl O, Koletzko B, Mori TA, Beilin LJ, Oddy WH, Hellmuth C Abstract BACKGROUND: There are differences in the prevalence and severity of diseases between males, females not taking hormonal contraceptives (non-HC females) and females taking hormonal contraceptives (HC females). The aim of this study was to identify sex-specific differences in the metabolome and its relation to components of the metabolic syndrome in a young adult population. METHODS: The subjects analysed are from the 20-year follow-up of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Two hundred fifteen plasma metabolites were analysed in 1021 fasted plasma samples by a targeted liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics approach. Principal component analysis between males (n = 550), non-HC females (n = 199) and HC females (n = 269) was applied. Regression analysis with a sex × metabolite concentration interaction was performed on components of the MetS, namely waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and plasma HDL-C, triglycerides and glucose concentration, as outcome to select the significant metabolites of the interaction. Those selected metabolites were used as predictors in a sex group stratified analysis to compare the different β coefficients and therefore the sex group-dependent associations. RESULTS: Principal component analysis between males, non-HC females, and HC females showed a general discriminating trend between males and HC females. One hundred twenty-seven metabolites were significantly different between males and non-HC females, whereas 97 differed between non-HC females and HC females. Males and non-HC females mainly differed in sphingomyelin, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, acyl-carnitine and amino acid species, whilst non-HC females and HC females mainly differed in phosphatidylcholine, lyso-phosphatidylcholine and acyl-carnitine concentrations. Forty-one metabolites (phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelines, lyso-phosphatidylcholine) were significantly differently associated with the MetS factors in the different groups. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown clear differences between plasma metabolite concentrations in males, and HC or non-HC females, especially in lyso-phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine, which have been shown to associate with obesity in other studies. The association of these metabolites differed between sexes with components of the metabolic syndrome, which means that development of diseases like obesity and diabetes may differ between the sexes. Our findings highlight the importance of considering sex differences when conducting a metabolomics study and the need to account for the effect of HC usage in females in future studies. PMID: 28360990 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles Potential Impact and Study Considerations of Metabolomics in Cardiovascular Health and Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2017 Apr;10(2): Authors: Cheng S, Shah SH, Corwin EJ, Fiehn O, Fitzgerald RL, Gerszten RE, Illig T, Rhee EP, Srinivas PR, Wang TJ, Jain M, American Heart Association Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Clinical Cardiology; and Stroke Council Abstract Through the measure of thousands of small-molecule metabolites in diverse biological systems, metabolomics now offers the potential for new insights into the factors that contribute to complex human diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Targeted metabolomics methods have already identified new molecular markers and metabolomic signatures of cardiovascular disease risk (including branched-chain amino acids, select unsaturated lipid species, and trimethylamine-N-oxide), thus in effect linking diverse exposures such as those from dietary intake and the microbiota with cardiometabolic traits. As technologies for metabolomics continue to evolve, the depth and breadth of small-molecule metabolite profiling in complex systems continue to advance rapidly, along with prospects for ongoing discovery. Current challenges facing the field of metabolomics include scaling throughput and technical capacity for metabolomics approaches, bioinformatic and chemoinformatic tools for handling large-scale metabolomics data, methods for elucidating the biochemical structure and function of novel metabolites, and strategies for determining the true clinical relevance of metabolites observed in association with cardiovascular disease outcomes. Progress made in addressing these challenges will allow metabolomics the potential to substantially affect diagnostics and therapeutics in cardiovascular medicine. PMID: 28360086 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles In silico analysis of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms of the human adiponectin receptor 2 (ADIPOR2) gene. Comput Biol Chem. 2017 Mar 14;68:175-185 Authors: Solayman M, Saleh MA, Paul S, Khalil MI, Gan SH Abstract Polymorphisms of the ADIPOR2 gene are frequently linked to a higher risk of developing diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Though mutations of the ADIPOR2 gene are detrimental, there is a lack of comprehensive in silico analyses of the functional and structural impacts at the protein level. Considering the involvement of ADIPOR2 in glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation, an in silico functional analysis was conducted to explore the possible association between genetic mutations and phenotypic variations. A genomic analysis of 82 nonsynonymous SNPs in ADIPOR2 was initiated using SIFT followed by the SNAP2, nsSNPAnalyzer, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO, FATHMM and PROVEAN servers. A total of 10 mutations (R126W, L160Q, L195P, F201S, L235R, L235P, L256R, Y328H, E334K and Q349H) were predicted to have deleterious effects on the ADIPOR2 protein and were therefore selected for further analysis. Theoretical models of the variants were generated by comparative modeling via MODELLER 9.16. A protein structural analysis of these amino acid variants was performed using SNPeffect, I-Mutant, ConSurf, Swiss-PDB Viewer and NetSurfP to explore their solvent accessibility, molecular dynamics and energy minimization calculations. In addition, FTSite was used to predict the ligand binding sites, while NetGlycate, NetPhos2.0, UbPerd and SUMOplot were used to predict post-translational modification sites. All of the variants showed increased free energy, though F201S exhibited the highest energy increase. The root mean square deviation values of the modeled mutants strongly indicated likely pathogenicity. Remarkably, three binding sites were detected on ADIPOR2, and two mutations at positions 328 and 201 were found in the first and second binding pockets, respectively. Interestingly, no mutations were found at the post-translational modification sites. These genetic variants can provide a better understanding of the wide range of disease susceptibility associated with ADIPOR2 and aid the development of new molecular diagnostic markers for these diseases. The findings may also facilitate the development of novel therapeutic elements for associated diseases. PMID: 28359874 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

16 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: metabolomics These pubmed results were generated on 2017/03/31PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

23 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: metabolomics These pubmed results were generated on 2017/03/30PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

27 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: metabolomics These pubmed results were generated on 2017/03/28PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

Studying the effects of natural extracts with metabolomics: A longitudinal study on the supplementation of healthy rats with Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2017 Mar 16;140:62-70 Authors: Peron G, Uddin J, Stocchero M, Mammi S, Schievano E, Dall'Acqua S Abstract BACKGROUND: A longitudinal study was performed to evaluate the effects of Polygonum cuspidatum extract (standardized at 20% resveratrol) supplementation on healthy rats. The effects were explored by monitoring urinary metabolome changes using UPLC-HRMS and (1)H NMR-based approaches. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of P. cuspidatum supplementation on a healthy animal model using metabolomics, in order to determine possible modes of action and obtain information on bioactivity. METHODS: Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were orally supplemented with 100mg/kg of dried P. cuspidatum extract for 49days and 24-h urinary outputs were collected. Samples were analysed by untargeted UPLC-HRMS and (1)H NMR approaches and the obtained data sets were modelled by an adaptation of post-transformation of PLS2 to longitudinal studies. Putative markers were discovered by a stability selection procedure and specific oxidative stress markers were monitored by a targeted HPLC-MS/MS analysis to assess the in vivo antioxidant activity of P. cuspidatum extract. RESULTS: UPLC-HRMS and (1)H NMR platforms showed two different but complementary patterns of metabolites describing the changes ascribable to P. cuspidatum supplementation and using both approaches, a comprehensive resveratrol metabolism and urinary excretion could be observed. Markers of P. cuspidatum supplementation effects identified by UPLC-HRMS were mainly related to its antioxidant activity and to a possible "adaptogenic" activity. Urinary changes observed by (1)H NMR were mainly related to energy metabolism. UPLC-HRMS and (1)H NMR metabolomics approaches allowed the effects of a prolonged supplementation with P. cuspidatum on healthy rats to be observed. The statistical models built from both data sets showed metabolic changes in urines related to rat aging. PMID: 28340474 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The link between phenotype and fatty acid metabolism in advanced chronic kidney disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2017 Mar 01;: Authors: Chen DQ, Chen H, Chen L, Vaziri ND, Wang M, Li XR, Zhao YY Abstract Background.: The kidney plays a central role in elimination of metabolic waste products and regulation of low-molecular weight metabolites via glomerular filtration, tubular secretion and reabsorption. Disruption of these processes results in profound changes in the biochemical milieu of the body fluids, which contribute to complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by inducing cytotoxicity and inflammation. Insight into the changes of the composition of metabolites and dysregulation of target genes and proteins enhances the understanding of the pathophysiology of CKD and its complications, and the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Chronic interstitial nephropathy is a common cause of CKD. The present study was designed to determine the effect of chronic interstitial nephropathy on the composition of serum metabolites and regulation of oxidative, inflammatory, fibrotic and cytoprotective pathways. Methods.: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to the CKD and control groups ( n  = 8/group). CKD was induced by administration of adenine (200 mg/kg body weight/day) by oral gavage for 3 weeks. The control group was treated with the vehicle alone. The animals were then observed for an additional 3 weeks, at which point they were sacrificed and kidney and serum samples were collected. Serum metabolomic and lipidomic analyses were performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry. Kidney tissues were processed for histological and molecular biochemical analyses. Results.: CKD rats exhibited increased plasma urea and creatinine concentrations, renal interstitial fibrosis, tubular damage and up-regulation of pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant and pro-fibrotic pathways. Comparison of serum from CKD and control rats revealed significant differences in concentrations of amino acids and lipids including 33 metabolites and 35 lipid species. This was associated with marked abnormalities of fatty acid oxidation, and γ-linolenic acid and linoleic acid metabolism in CKD rats. Logistic regression analysis identified tetracosanoic acid, docosatrienoic acid, PC(18:3/14:1) and l -aspartic acid, tetracosanoic acid and docosatrienoic acid as novel biomarkers of chronic interstitial nephropathy. Conclusions.: Advanced CKD in rats with adenine-induced chronic interstitial nephropathy results in profound changes in the serum metabolome, activation of inflammatory, oxidative and fibrotic pathways, and suppression of cytoprotective and antioxidant pathways. PMID: 28339984 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Specialized Information Processing Deficits and Distinct Metabolomic Profiles Following TM-Domain Disruption of Nrg1. Schizophr Bull. 2017 Mar 11;: Authors: O'Tuathaigh CM, Mathur N, O'Callaghan MJ, MacIntyre L, Harvey R, Lai D, Waddington JL, Pickard BS, Watson DG, Moran PM Abstract Although there is considerable genetic and pathologic evidence for an association between neuregulin 1 (NRG1) dysregulation and schizophrenia, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Mutant mice containing disruption of the transmembrane (TM) domain of the NRG1 gene constitute a heuristic model for dysregulation of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in schizophrenia. The present study focused on hitherto uncharacterized information processing phenotypes in this mutant line. Using a mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach, we also quantified levels of unique metabolites in brain. Across 2 different sites and protocols, Nrg1 mutants demonstrated deficits in prepulse inhibition, a measure of sensorimotor gating, that is, disrupted in schizophrenia; these deficits were partially reversed by acute treatment with second, but not first-, generation antipsychotic drugs. However, Nrg1 mutants did not show a specific deficit in latent inhibition, a measure of selective attention that is also disrupted in schizophrenia. In contrast, in a "what-where-when" object recognition memory task, Nrg1 mutants displayed sex-specific (males only) disruption of "what-when" performance, indicative of impaired temporal aspects of episodic memory. Differential metabolomic profiling revealed that these behavioral phenotypes were accompanied, most prominently, by alterations in lipid metabolism pathways. This study is the first to associate these novel physiological mechanisms, previously independently identified as being abnormal in schizophrenia, with disruption of NRG1 function. These data suggest novel mechanisms by which compromised neuregulin function from birth might lead to schizophrenia-relevant behavioral changes in adulthood. PMID: 28338897 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles Gut microbiome-related metabolic changes in plasma of antibiotic-treated rats. Arch Toxicol. 2017 Mar 23;: Authors: Behr C, Kamp H, Fabian E, Krennrich G, Mellert W, Peter E, Strauss V, Walk T, Rietjens IM, van Ravenzwaay B Abstract The intestinal microbiota contributes to the metabolism of its host. Adequate identification of the microbiota's impact on the host plasma metabolites is lacking. As antibiotics have a profound effect on the microbial composition and hence on the mammalian-microbiota co-metabolism, we studied the effects of antibiotics on the "functionality of the microbiome"-defined as the production of metabolites absorbed by the host. This metabolomics study presents insights into the mammalian-microbiome co-metabolism of endogenous metabolites. To identify plasma metabolites related to microbiome changes due to antibiotic treatment, we have applied broad-spectrum antibiotics belonging to the class of aminoglycosides (neomycin, gentamicin), fluoroquinolones (moxifloxacin, levofloxacin) and tetracyclines (doxycycline, tetracycline). These were administered orally for 28 days to male rats including blood sampling for metabolic profiling after 7, 14 and 28 days. Fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines can be absorbed from the gut; whereas, aminoglycosides are poorly absorbed. Hippuric acid, indole-3-acetic acid and glycerol were identified as key metabolites affected by antibiotic treatment, beside changes mainly concerning amino acids and carbohydrates. Inter alia, effects on indole-3-propionic acid were found to be unique for aminoglycosides, and on 3-indoxylsulfate for tetracyclines. For each class of antibiotics, specific metabolome patterns could be established in the MetaMap®Tox data base, which contains metabolome data for more than 550 reference compounds. The results suggest that plasma-based metabolic profiling (metabolomics) could be a suitable tool to investigate the effect of antibiotics on the functionality of the microbiome and to obtain insight into the mammalian-microbiome co-metabolism. PMID: 28337503 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles Changes in intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism coincide with increased intestinal permeability in young adults under prolonged physiologic stress. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2017 Mar 23;:ajpgi.00066.2017 Authors: Karl JP, Margolis LM, Madslien EH, Murphy NE, Castellani JW, Gundersen Y, Hoke AV, Levangie MW, Kumar R, Chakraborty N, Gautam A, Hammamieh R, Martini S, Montain SJ, Pasiakos SM Abstract The magnitude, temporal dynamics, and physiologic effects of intestinal microbiome responses to physiologic stress are poorly characterized. This study used a systems biology approach and multiple-stressor military training environment to determine the effects of physiologic stress on intestinal microbiota composition and metabolic activity, and intestinal permeability (IP). 73 Soldiers were provided three rations/d with or without protein- or carbohydrate-based supplements during a four day cross-country ski march (STRESS). IP was measured before and during STRESS. Blood and stool samples were collected before and after STRESS to measure inflammation, stool microbiota, and stool and plasma global metabolite profiles. IP increased 62%±57% (mean±SD, P<0.001) during STRESS independent of diet group, and was associated with increased inflammation. Intestinal microbiota responses were characterized by increased α-diversity, and changes in the relative abundance of >50% of identified genera, including increased abundances of less dominant taxa at the expense of more dominant taxa such as Bacteroides. Changes in intestinal microbiota composition were linked to 23% of metabolites that were significantly altered in stool after STRESS. Pre-STRESS Actinobacteria relative abundance, and changes in serum IL-6 and stool cysteine concentrations, collectively, accounted for 84% of the variability in the change in IP. Findings demonstrate that a multiple-stressor military training environment induced increases in IP that were associated with alterations in markers of inflammation, and with intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism. Observed associations between IP, the pre-stress microbiota, and microbiota metabolites suggest targeting the intestinal microbiota could provide novel strategies for preserving IP during physiologic stress. PMID: 28336545 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles A Community Multi-Omics Approach towards the Assessment of Surface Water Quality in an Urban River System. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Mar 14;14(3): Authors: Beale DJ, Karpe AV, Ahmed W, Cook S, Morrison PD, Staley C, Sadowsky MJ, Palombo EA Abstract A multi-omics approach was applied to an urban river system (the Brisbane River (BR), Queensland, Australia) in order to investigate surface water quality and characterize the bacterial population with respect to water contaminants. To do this, bacterial metagenomic amplicon-sequencing using Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the V5-V6 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene and untargeted community metabolomics using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilized. The multi-omics data, in combination with fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) counts, trace metal concentrations (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)) and in-situ water quality measurements collected from various locations along the BR were then used to assess the health of the river ecosystem. Sites sampled represented the transition from less affected (upstream) to polluted (downstream) environments along the BR. Chemometric analysis of the combined datasets indicated a clear separation between the sampled environments. Burkholderiales and Cyanobacteria were common key factors for differentiation of pristine waters. Increased sugar alcohol and short-chain fatty acid production was observed by Actinomycetales and Rhodospirillaceae that are known to form biofilms in urban polluted and brackish waters. Results from this study indicate that a multi-omics approach enables a deep understanding of the health of an aquatic ecosystem, providing insight into the bacterial diversity present and the metabolic output of the population when exposed to environmental contaminants. PMID: 28335448 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles Revisiting the Metabolism and Bioactivation of Ketoconazole in Human and Mouse Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Mar 13;18(3): Authors: Kim JH, Choi WG, Lee S, Lee HS Abstract Although ketoconazole (KCZ) has been used worldwide for 30 years, its metabolic characteristics are poorly described. Moreover, the hepatotoxicity of KCZ limits its therapeutic use. In this study, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to evaluate the metabolic profile of KCZ in mouse and human and identify the mechanisms underlying its hepatotoxicity. A total of 28 metabolites of KCZ, 11 of which were novel, were identified in this study. Newly identified metabolites were classified into three categories according to the metabolic positions of a piperazine ring, imidazole ring, and N-acetyl moiety. The metabolic characteristics of KCZ in human were comparable to those in mouse. Moreover, three cyanide adducts of KCZ were identified in mouse and human liver microsomal incubates as "flags" to trigger additional toxicity study. The oxidation of piperazine into iminium ion is suggested as a biotransformation responsible for bioactivation. In summary, the metabolic characteristics of KCZ, including reactive metabolites, were comprehensively understood using a metabolomics approach. PMID: 28335386 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles Vitamin E Nicotinate. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017 Mar 13;6(1): Authors: Duncan KR, Suzuki YJ Abstract Vitamin E refers to a family of compounds that function as lipid-soluble antioxidants capable of preventing lipid peroxidation. Naturally occurring forms of vitamin E include tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E in dietary supplements and fortified foods is often an esterified form of α-tocopherol, the most common esters being acetate and succinate. The vitamin E esters are hydrolyzed and converted into free α-tocopherol prior to absorption in the intestinal tract. Because its functions are relevant to many chronic diseases, vitamin E has been extensively studied in respect to a variety of diseases as well as cosmetic applications. The forms of vitamin E most studied are natural α-tocopherol and the esters α-tocopheryl acetate and α-tocopheryl succinate. A small number of studies include or focus on another ester form, α-tocopheryl nicotinate, an ester of vitamin E and niacin. Some of these studies raise the possibility of differences in metabolism and in efficacy between vitamin E nicotinate and other forms of vitamin E. Recently, through metabolomics studies, we identified that α-tocopheryl nicotinate occurs endogenously in the heart and that its level is dramatically decreased in heart failure, indicating the possible biological importance of this vitamin E ester. Since knowledge about vitamin E nicotinate is not readily available in the literature, the purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate published reports, specifically with respect to α-tocopheryl nicotinate with an emphasis on the differences from natural α-tocopherol or α-tocopheryl acetate. PMID: 28335380 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles Strategies for metabolite profiling based on liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2017 Feb 15;1044-1045:103-111 Authors: Saurina J, Sentellas S Abstract This paper aims at covering the principal strategies based on liquid chromatography (LC) for metabolite profiling in the field of drug discovery and development. The identification of metabolites generated in the organism is an important task during the early stages of preclinical research to define the most proper strategy for optimizing, adjusting metabolic clearance and minimizing bioactivation. An early assessment of the metabolite profile may be critical since metabolites can contribute to pharmacological and/or toxicological effects. The study of metabolites first involves their synthesis/generation and their further characterization and structural elucidation. For such a purpose, both in vitro and in vivo methods are commonly used for the generation of the corresponding metabolites. Next, analytical methods are used to tackle identification and characterization studies. Among the arsenal of techniques available in our labs, we will focus on LC, especially coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS), as one of the most powerful approaches for metabolite identification, characterization and quantification. Here, the topic of metabolite profiling based on LC will be addressed and representative examples of different possibilities will be discussed. PMID: 28088042 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related Articles Metabonomics study of the therapeutic mechanism of fenugreek galactomannan on diabetic hyperglycemia in rats, by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2017 Feb 15;1044-1045:8-16 Authors: Jiang W, Gao L, Li P, Kan H, Qu J, Men L, Liu Z, Liu Z Abstract Fenugreek is a traditional plant for the treatment of diabetes. Galactomannan, an active major component in fenugreek seeds, has shown hypoglycemic activity. The present study was performed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism underlying fenugreek galactomannan (F-GAL) in treating diabetes, using a metabonomics approach based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS). The F-GAL used for study was highly purified, and its yield, purity, and galactose/mannose ratio were characterized by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and a modified phenol-sulfuric acid method. After treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats with F-GAL for 28days, urine and serum samples were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF/MS. Multivariate statistical approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to distinguish the non-diabetic/untreated, diabetic/untreated, and diabetic/F-GAL-treated groups. Then, potential biomarkers were identified that may help elucidate the underlying therapeutic mechanism of F-GAL in diabetes. The results demonstrated that there was a clear separation among the three groups in the PCA model. Fourteen potential biomarkers were identified by OPLS-DA, and they were determined to be produced in response to the therapeutic effects of F-GAL. These biomarkers were involved in histidine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, energy metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that a metabonomics approach is a powerful, novel tool that can be used to evaluate the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of herb extracts. PMID: 28063302 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related Articles Anti-Inflammation Effects and Potential Mechanism of Saikosaponins by Regulating Nicotinate and Nicotinamide Metabolism and Arachidonic Acid Metabolism. Inflammation. 2016 Aug;39(4):1453-61 Authors: Ma Y, Bao Y, Wang S, Li T, Chang X, Yang G, Meng X Abstract Inflammation is an important immune response; however, excessive inflammation causes severe tissue damages and secondary inflammatory injuries. The long-term and ongoing uses of routinely used drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are associated with serious adverse reactions, and not all patients have a well response to them. Consequently, therapeutic products with more safer and less adverse reaction are constantly being sought. Radix Bupleuri, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, saikosaponins (SS) as the main pharmacodynamic active ingredient, their pharmacological effects and action mechanism in anti-inflammation have not been reported frequently. This study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory activity of SS and clarify the potential mechanism in acute inflammatory mice induced by subcutaneous injection of formalin in hind paws. Paw edema was detected as an index to evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of SS. Then, a metabolomic method was used to investigate the changed metabolites and potential mechanism of SS. Metabolite profiling was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The detection and identification of the changed metabolites were systematically analyzed by multivariate data and pathway analysis. As a result, 12 different potential biomarkers associated with SS in anti-inflammation were identified, including nicotinate, niacinamide, arachidonic acid (AA), and 20-carboxy-leukotriene B4, which are associated with nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism. The expression levels of biomarkers were effectively modulated towards the normal range by SS. It indicated that SS show their effective anti-inflammatory effects through regulating nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism. PMID: 27251379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related Articles HvPap-1 C1A Protease and HvCPI-2 Cystatin Contribute to Barley Grain Filling and Germination. Plant Physiol. 2016 04;170(4):2511-24 Authors: Diaz-Mendoza M, Dominguez-Figueroa JD, Velasco-Arroyo B, Cambra I, Gonzalez-Melendi P, Lopez-Gonzalvez A, Garcia A, Hensel G, Kumlehn J, Diaz I, Martinez M Abstract Proteolysis is an essential process throughout the mobilization of storage proteins in barley (Hordeum vulgare) grains during germination. It involves numerous types of enzymes, with C1A Cys proteases the most abundant key players. Manipulation of the proteolytic machinery is a potential way to enhance grain yield and quality, and it could influence the mobilization of storage compounds along germination. Transgenic barley plants silencing or over-expressing the cathepsin F-like HvPap-1 Cys protease show differential accumulation of storage molecules such as starch, proteins, and free amino acids in the grain. It is particularly striking that the HvPap-1 artificial microRNA lines phenotype show a drastic delay in the grain germination process. Alterations to the proteolytic activities in the over-expressing and knock-down grains associated with changes in the level of expression of several C1A peptidases were also detected. Similarly, down-regulating cystatin Icy-2, one of the proteinaceous inhibitors of the cathepsin F-like protease, also has important effects on grain filling. However, the ultimate physiological influence of manipulating a peptidase or an inhibitor cannot be always predicted, since the plant tries to compensate the modified proteolytic effects by modulating the expression of some other peptidases or their inhibitors. PMID: 26912343 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Novel UCHL1 mutations reveal new insights into ubiquitin processing. Hum Mol Genet. 2017 Mar 09;: Authors: Rydning SL, Backe PH, Sousa MM, Iqbal Z, Øye AM, Sheng Y, Yang M, Lin X, Slupphaug G, Nordenmark TH, Vigeland MD, Bjørås M, Tallaksen CM, Selmer KK PMID: 28334853 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Metabolomics of Pichia pastoris: Impact of buffering conditions on the kinetics and nature of metabolite loss during quenching. FEMS Yeast Res. 2017 Mar 15;: Authors: Mattanovich M, Rußmayer H, Scharl-Hirsch T, Puxbaum V, Burgard J, Mattanovich D, Hann S Abstract Mass spectrometry based metabolomic profiling is a powerful strategy to quantify the concentrations of numerous primary metabolites in parallel. To avoid distortion of metabolite concentrations, quenching is applied to stop the cellular metabolism instantly. For yeasts, cold methanol quenching is accepted to be the most suitable method to stop metabolism, while keeping the cells intact for separation from the supernatant. During this treatment, metabolite loss may occur while the cells are suspended in the quenching solution. An experiment for measuring the time dependent loss of selected primary metabolites in differently buffered quenching solutions was conducted to study pH and salt concentration dependent effects. Molecular properties of the observed metabolites were correlated with the kinetics of loss to gain insight into the mechanisms of metabolite leakage. Size and charge related properties play a major role in controlling metabolite loss. We found evidence that interaction with the cell wall is the main determinant to retain a molecule inside the cell. Besides suggesting an improved quenching protocol to keep loss at a minimum, we could establish a more general understanding of the process of metabolite loss during quenching, which will allow to predict optimal conditions for hitherto not analysed metabolites. PMID: 28334329 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]