Hepatoprotection of (Lour.) Merr. on Acetaminophen-Related Hepatic Injury Rats by H-NMR-Based Metabonomics Coupled with Network Pharmacology.

BACKGROUND

Acetaminophen-related hepatic injury (ARHI) is a kind of acute hepatic injury caused by overdosing acetaminophen, which is mainly related to toxic metabolite production, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The extract of (Lour.) Merr. (PSM) has the abilities of anti-inflammatory, antivirus, and antioxidation. Research studies showed that PSM could improve acute or chronic hepatic injury, while the mechanism of which is still indistinct.

METHODS

Here, the authors applied the approach based on serum metabonomics combined with network pharmacology to study the protection of PSM on ARHI rats.

RESULTS

10 serum potential biomarkers were found to be closely related to ARHI by metabonomics, while 3 compounds (L-ascorbyl 2,6-dipalmitate, squalene, and tributyl O-acetylcitrate) and 3 targets (NOS2, MAOB, and PDE3A) were found that might be the potential active components and active site of PSM on treating ARHI by network pharmacology analysis. Furthermore, molecular biology strategy was performed to validate whether iNOS/NF-B signaling pathway is the potential mechanism of PSM treating ARHI.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicated that PSM could ameliorate ARHI by iNOS/NF-B signaling pathway. During ARHI treatment by PSM, L-ascorbyl 2, 6-dipalmitate, squalene, and tributyl O-acetylcitrate might be the potential active components, while the possible active site might be NOS2, MAOB, and PDE3A.