Based on metabolomics methods to explore the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy mediated by intestinal flora and the preventive and therapeutic effects of Qikui Granules
Qikui granules (QKG), an in-hospital granule preparation, has clear clinical efficacy against diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and is safe for long-term use; it has certain advantages over HKC, a Chinese medicine preparation, and IBST, a commonly used anti-DKD chemical, in terms of the basis of the formula and the improvement of the overall state of the patients; the metabolic changes mediated by the intestinal flora may be the main reason for the significant efficacy of QKG despite poor oral absorption; metabolomics research is applicable to the complex pathogenesis of DKD and to the clarification of the overall efficacy and mechanism of action of QKG; the 16S rRNA sequencing technology can be used to comprehensively characterise the family and its abundance changes of the dysregulated intestinal flora and to clarify the changes in its efficacy and mechanism of action. The metabolomics study is suitable for the elucidation of the complex pathogenesis and the overall efficacy and mechanism of action of QKG; with the help of 16S rRNA sequencing technology to comprehensively characterise the family and its abundance changes of dysbiotic intestinal flora, and correlation and causality analyses of their metabolomic changes, the metabolic abnormality mediated by intestinal flora can be clarified at the initial stage; the comparison of the proportion of the metabolomic changes mediated by intestinal flora to the overall changes in the metabolomic group of the body is expected to provide a good basis for the study. Comparing the ratio between the changes in the metabolome mediated by the intestinal flora and the overall changes in the body metabolome, it is expected to provide an important reference for revealing whether the intestinal flora is the target of DKD or the target of QKG. Accordingly, the hypothesis of this project is that QKG can improve most of the metabolic pathway abnormalities caused by DKD disease by altering the composition of the intestinal flora, thus achieving the prevention and treatment of DKD.