Metabonomic profiles reveal dose-dependent effects of Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan on the serum in experimental periodontitis of rat model.

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan is a Chinese patent medicine for the treatment of chronic periodontitis. It has an anti-inflammatory function in experimental periodontitis and can improve alveolar bone remodeling.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to explore the effects of Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan on serum metabolism in a rat model of periodontitis using H nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) based metabonomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The model of experimental periodontitis in a rat was established by steel wire ligation, plus a high glucose diet and Porphyromonas gingivalis inoculation. When the models had been established, 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats (n=31) were divided into 5 groups: high dose group (Group H), medium dose group (Group M), low dose group (Group L), periodontitis group (Group P) and healthy control group (Group N). Rats in Group H, M and L were given the Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan solution (0.8, 2 and 4g/kg of body weight) daily for 60 days. Rats in Group P and N were administered normal saline (10ml/kg of body weight) in the same period. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the study and serum samples were collected. The metabolites in the serum were analyzed using H NMR in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA).

RESULTS

The metabonomic profiles of five groups showed the clustering of individual dataset in every group, and the 1st principal component and the 2nd principal component could significantly differentiate the datasets of medium dose or high dose group from other groups. The chemical shift regions at δ 1.22ppm, 1.86ppm, 2.26ppm, 2.34ppm and 2.42ppm showed the most obvious differences among the five groups. The correspondent metabolites were high density lipoprotein, pyruvate/oxaloacetate, arginine and glutamine.

CONCLUSION

The effects of Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan on the rat serum metabolites were dose dependent. High density lipoprotein, pyruvate/oxaloacetate, arginine and glutamine may be the serum biomarkers of Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan.