title: Lipidomics investigation of reversal effect of glycyrrhizin (GL) towards lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced alteration of phospholipid profiles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycyrrhizin (GL), the major ingredient isolated from licorice, exerts multiple pharmacological activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the protective mechanism of GL towards lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced liver toxicity using lipidomics.
  
  
  METHODS
  GL (200 mg/kg) dissolved in corn oil was treated intraperitoneally for 7 d. On the 4th day, 200 mg/kg LCA was used to treat mice (i.p., twice daily) for another 4 d. The protective role of GL towards LCA-induced liver toxicity was investigated through evaluating the liver histology and the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT). The complete lipid profile was employed using UFLC-Triple TOF MS-based lipidomics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of 200 mg/kg GL can significantly protect LCA-induced liver damage, indicated by alleviated histology alteration and prevention of the ALT elevation. Lipidomics analysis can well separate the control group from LCA-treated group, and three lipid components were major contributors, including LPC 16:0, LPC 18:0, and LPC 18:2. GL treatment can significantly prevent LCA-induced reduction of these three lipid compounds, providing a new explanation for GL's protection mechanism towards LCA-induced liver toxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The recent study highlights the importance of lipidomics in elucidating the therapeutic mechanism of herbs.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University , Dalian , China and.
authors.forename: Jing-Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ya-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008095:Lithocholic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D008095:Lithocholic Acid; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Alanine transaminase; bile acids; herbs; licorice; metabolomics database; principal component analysis