title: Cordyceps sinensis protects against liver and heart injuries in a rat model of chronic kidney disease: a metabolomic analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that the traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis could improve the metabolic function of extrarenal organs to achieve its anti-chronic kidney disease (CKD) effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male SD rats were divided into CKD rats (with 5/6-nephrectomy), CKD rats treated with Cordyceps sinensis (4 mg•kg-1•d-1, po), and sham-operated rats. After an 8-week treatment, metabolites were extracted from the hearts and livers of the rats, and then subjected to (1)H-NMR-based metabolomic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oxidative stress, energy metabolism, amino acid and protein metabolism and choline metabolism were considered as links between CKD and extrarenal organ dysfunction. Within the experimental period of 8 weeks, the metabolic disorders in the liver were more pronounced than in the heart, suggesting that CKD-related extrarenal organ dysfunctions occurred sequentially rather than simultaneously. Oral administration of Cordyceps sinensis exerted statistically significant rescue effects on the liver and heart by reversely regulating levels of those metabolites that are typically perturbed in CKD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of Cordyceps sinensis significantly attenuates the liver and heart injuries in CKD rats. The (1)H NMR-based metabolomic approach has provided a systematic view for understanding of CKD and the drug treatment, which can also be used to elucidate the mechanisms of action of other traditional Chinese medicines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Xu-long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Fu-lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Shan-mai
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Blood Research Institute, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Jia-fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Wei-ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Nai-xia
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D032661:Cordyceps / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D055442:Metabolome / Q000187:drug effects*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020011:Protective Agents