Cholestasis is a serious manifestation of liver diseases with limited therapies. Rhubarb, a widely used herbal medicine, has been frequently used at a relatively large dose for treating cholestasis. However, whether large doses are optimal and the therapeutic mechanism remain unclear. To explore these questions, the anti-cholestatic effect of five doses of rhubarb (0.21, 0.66, 2.10, 6.60, and 21.0 g/kg) in an alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced rat model of cholestasis was examined by histopathology and serum biochemistry. A dose-dependent anti-cholestatic effect of rhubarb (0.21-6.6 g/kg) was observed, and an overdose of 21.0 g/kg showed a poor effect. LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics together with pathway analysis were further applied to characterize the metabolic alterations induced by the different rhubarb doses. Altogether, 13 biomarkers were identified. The dose-response curve based on nine important biomarkers indicated that doses in the 0.42-6.61 g/kg range (EC20-EC80 range, corresponding to 4.00-62.95 g in the clinic) were effective for cholestasis treatment. The pathway analysis showed that bile acid metabolism and excretion, inflammation and amino acid metabolism were altered by rhubarb in a dose-dependent manner and might be involved in the dose-response relationship and therapeutic mechanism of rhubarb for cholestasis treatment.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2016.00085 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Sarriena S/N, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
Cannabis use disorder affects up to 42% of individuals with schizophrenia, correlating with earlier onset, increased positive symptoms, and more frequent hospitalizations. This study employed an untargeted lipidomics approach to identify biomarkers in plasma samples from subjects with schizophrenia, cannabis use disorder, or both (dual diagnosis), aiming to elucidate the metabolic underpinnings of cannabis abuse and schizophrenia development. The use of liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry enabled the annotation of 119 metabolites, with the highest identification confidence level achieved for 16 compounds.
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December 2024
Department of Neurology, Hubei General Hospital, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
The effect of sexual dimorphism on the metabolism of patients with Parkinson's disease has not been clarified. A group of patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls were recruited, and their clinical characteristics and plasma were collected. Untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based plasma metabolomics profiling was performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cell Res Ther
December 2024
National Colorectal Disease CenterNanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210022, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Background: Complex perianal fistulas, challenging to treat and prone to recurrence, often require surgical intervention that may cause fecal incontinence and lower quality of life due to large surgical wounds and potential sphincter damage. Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) and their exosomes (hUCMSCs-Exo) may promote wound healing.
Methods: This study assessed the efficacy, mechanisms, and safety of these exosomes in treating complex perianal fistulas in SD rats.
Int J Food Microbiol
December 2024
Higiene y Seguridad Alimentaria, Instituto de Investigación de Carne y Productos Cárnicos (IProCar), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de las Ciencias s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain.
Dry-cured ham is a highly appreciated meat product. During the ripening, moulds grow on its surface such as Penicillium nordicum and Aspergillus westerdijkiae producers of ochratoxin A (OTA). This mycotoxin poses a risk to consumers that must be controlled.
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December 2024
Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address:
Metabolomics can describe the molecular phenome and may contribute to dissecting the biological processes linked to economically relevant traits in livestock species. Comparative analyses of metabolomic profiles in purebred pigs can provide insights into the basic biological mechanisms that may explain differences in production performances. Following this concept, this study was designed to compare, on a large scale, the plasma metabolomic profiles of two Italian heavy pig breeds (Italian Duroc and Italian Large White) to indirectly evaluate the impact of their different genetic backgrounds on the breed metabolomes.
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