title: Metabolomics study on the effects of Buchang Naoxintong capsules for treating cerebral ischemia in rats using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Buchang Naoxintong Capsules (BNC) are widely prescribed in Chinese medicine for the treatment of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. However, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms are not yet well understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, a UPLC/TOF-MS-based metabolomic study was conducted to explore potential biomarkers that will increase our understanding of cerebral ischemia and to assess the integral efficacy of BNC in a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model. Plasma metabolic profiles were analyzed and metabolic biomarkers were identified through multivariate data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clear separations were observed between the sham, MCAO and BNC-treated groups. We identified 28 biomarkers in the MCAO rats using variable importance for the projections (VIP) values (VIP>1) and a t-test (P<0.05). The identified biomarkers were mainly related to disturbances in monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and lipid metabolism. Moreover, a correlation network diagram of the plasma biomarkers perturbed by MCAO was constructed. Some biomarkers, such as glutamine, PE (17:0), LysoPE (20:1), LysoPE (24:0), and the ratios of LysoPE (24:1) to LysoPE (24:0), LysoPE (24:2) to LysoPE (24:0), showed obvious changes and a tendency for returning to baseline values in BNC-treated MCAO rats. In addition, MCAO rats receiving BNC treatment had improved neurological deficits and reduced cerebral infarct size demonstrating the therapeutic potential of BNC for treating cerebral ischemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a useful approach for exploring the mechanism of MCAO-induced cerebral ischemia and evaluating the efficacy of BNC.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: mengtingliu0102@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mengting
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: xinliu1011@126.com.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: sungirl9626@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: hbxiao69@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: j_fang0817@sina.com.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: bjtangliying@163.com.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: wl200307@126.com.
authors.forename: Defeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: ZY701223@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: whw9905012@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Dong Nei Nan Xiao Jie 16, Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: hongjun0420@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002214:Capsules; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D055432:Metabolomics; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C533635:buchang naoxintong
keywords: Buchang Naoxintong Capsule; Cerebral ischemia; MCAO; Metabolomics; UPLC-Q/TOF-MS