title: (1)H NMR-based metabonomics study on the toxicity alleviation effect of other traditional Chinese medicines in Niuhuang Jiedu tablet to realgar (As2S2).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Niuhuang Jiedu Tablet (NJT) is an effective prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in treating acute tonsillitis, pharyngitis, periodontitis and mouth ulcer. NJT is prepared from Xionghuang (Realgar, As2S2), Rengong Niuhuang (Bovis Calculus Artificialis), Bingpian (Borneolum Synthcticum), Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma). In the prescription, significant level of realgar (As2S2) as a potentially toxic element is contained.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, (1)H NMR-based metabonomics approach has been used to investigate the toxicity of realgar (As2S2) after being counterbalanced by other TCMs in NJT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: control, group I (treated with Realgar), group II (treated with Realgar, Bovis Calculus Artificialis, Borneolum Synthcticum, Gypsum Fibrosum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), group III (treated with Realgar, Bovis Calculus Artificialis, Borneolum Synthcticum and Gypsum Fibrosum) and group IV (treated with Realgar, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma). Based on (1)H-NMR spectra of urine and serum from rats, PCA and PLS-DA were performed to identify different metabolic profiles. Liver and kidney histopathology examinations and serum clinical chemistry analysis were also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PLS-DA scores plots demonstrated that the cluster of group I was separated from that of control rats, while group II was located close to control rats, indicating that metabolic profiles of group II were restored toward those of control rats. The metabolic profiles of group III were similar to those of group I, while the metabolic profiles of group II were almost in line with those of group II. Statistics results were confirmed by the histopathological examination and biochemical assay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that it was more secure and much less toxic for counterbalanced realgar (As2S2) in NJT. The effective material bases of toxicity alleviation to realgar (As2S2) were Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), which regulated energy metabolism, choline metabolism, amino acid metabolism and gut flora disorder affected by realgar (As2S2) exposure.
authors.affiliation: School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenfeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rongwu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Yuehu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001152:Arsenicals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D055432:Metabolomics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013440:Sulfides / Q000633:toxicity*; D013607:Tablets; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D013440:Sulfides; D013607:Tablets; D014280:Triglycerides; C585460:nihuang jiedu; C058317:arsenic disulfide; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase