title: Serum metabonomic analysis of protective effects of Curcuma aromatica oil on renal fibrosis rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curcuma aromatica oil is a traditional herbal medicine demonstrating protective and anti-fibrosis activities in renal fibrosis patients. However, study of its mechanism of action is challenged by its multiple components and multiple targets that its active agent acts on.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics combined with clinical chemistry and histopathology examination were performed to evaluate intervening effects of Curcuma aromatica oil on renal interstitial fibrosis rats induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. The metabolite levels were compared based on integral values of serum 1H NMR spectra from rats on 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the medicine administration. Time trajectory analysis demonstrated that metabolic profiles of the agent-treated rats were restored to control levels after 7 days of dosage. The results confirmed that the agent would be an effective anti-fibrosis medicine in a time-dependent manner, especially in early renal fibrosis stage. Targeted metabolite analysis showed that the medicine could lower levels of lipid, acetoacetate, glucose, phosphorylcholine/choline, trimethylamine oxide and raise levels of pyruvate, glycine in the serum of the rats. Serum clinical chemistry and kidney histopathology examination dovetailed well with the metabonomics data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results substantiated that Curcuma aromatica oil administration can ameliorate renal fibrosis symptoms by inhibiting some metabolic pathways, including lipids metabolism, glycolysis and methylamine metabolism, which are dominating targets of the agent working in vivo. This study further strengthens the novel analytical approach for evaluating the effect of traditional herbal medicine and elucidating its molecular mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Liangcai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the first Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yunjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yongquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Minjian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yaqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xinjian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhihan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabonomics & Medical NMR, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hongchang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D055432:Metabolomics; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils