Metabolomic Analysis of the Urine from Rats with Collagen-Induced Arthritis with the Effective Part of Caulophyllum robustum Maxim

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with high incidence and high disability and recurrence rates. Caulophyllum robustum Maxim (C. robustum) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with main effective parts (CRME) commonly used for RA treatment. To explore the mechanism of CRME in RA, we used metabolomics to investigate the effect of CRME intervention on urine metabolism in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). CIA rats were randomly divided into normal control, CIA model, and CRME groups. A metabolomics approach, using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight/Mass Spectrometry, was developed to perform urinary metabolic profiling. Differential metabolites were identified by comparing the CIA model and CRME groups. Preliminarily, 56 significant differential metabolites were identified in urine, and 20 metabolic pathways were disturbed by the CIA. The amount of 16 different metabolites changed in urine after CRME intervention. The production of these metabolites involves tryptophan, tyrosine, energy, cholesterol, and vitamin metabolism. CRME has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in CIA model rats. By examining the endogenous metabolite levels, we identified potential CRME targets and pathways involved in the treatment of RA. The results of our metabolic studies indicate that CRME regulates amino acid, vitamin, energy, and lipid metabolism pathways to treat RA and may provide a new explanation for the anti-RA mechanism of CRME.

Notes on rust fungi in China 7. Aecidium caulophylli life cycle inferred from phylogenetic evidence and renamed as Puccinia caulophylli comb. nov.

Spermogonial and aecial stages of Aecidium caulophylli on Caulophyllum robustum (Berberidaceae) were shown by phylogenetic analyses of ITS and 28S sequence data to be identical to a uredinial and telial rust on Milium effusum (Poaceae). A new combination, Puccinia caulophylli is proposed for this species, and an epitype is designated.

Pharmacological Effect ofCaulophyllum robustumon Collagen-Induced Arthritis and Regulation of Nitric Oxide, NF-κB, and Proinflammatory Cytokines In Vivo and In Vitro

Caulophyllum robustumMaxim(C. robustum)has commonly been used as traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of rheumatic pain and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China. This paper first investigated the anti-inflammation effect ofC. robustumextraction (CRME) on RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gene expression levels of inflammatory factors. Moreover, we first evaluated the anti-RA effects of CRME using collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1J mice, and the incidence, clinical score, and joint histopathology were evaluated. The levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and PGE2 inflammatory factors in sera of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of NF-κB p65 in the joint was tested by immune histochemical technique. The results showed that, compared with the model group, CRME significantly improved symptoms of the arthritis index, limb swelling, and histological findings by decreasing synovial membrane damage, the extent of inflammatory cell infiltration, and the expansion of capillaries in CIA mice. The results also showed that CRME can reduce the levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and PGE2 and inhibit the expression of NF-κB p65. All these results indicated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of CRME as a novel botanical extraction for the treatment of RA.