High throughput serum metabolomics analysis of gouty arthritis rat treated by total saponins of Rhizoma Dioscoreae Makino by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS.

Currently, Rhizoma Dioscoreae Makino (RDM) has obtained a fine effect in treating gouty arthritis (GA) and hyperuricacidemia, especially in promoting uric acid excretion and reducing the inflammatory reaction. Bioactive constituents in RDM are mainly steroidal saponins such as dioscin, trillin, protodioscin and protogracillin. However, the mechanism of its anti-GA is still unclear, owing to the complex pathological and physiological characteristics of GA, and integration of RDM with multiple components, multiple targets and multiple pathways. Herein, GA rat model was induced with monosodium urate (MSU), and RDM could reduce inflammation of rat synovium tissue. Through metabolomics analysis, 35 potential biomarkers with significant changes involved in the pathogenesis of GA induced by MSU were identified, and their perturbations could be restored after RDM-treatment. It was observed that the most correlated pathways involved in d-galactose, d-mannose, d-glucose, myoinositol, PC (16:0/16:0), LysoPC (15:0) , PA (18:1(9Z)/18:1(11Z)) and glutathione induced by MSU were as following: Galactose metabolism, Inositol phosphate metabolism, Glycerophospholipid metabolism and Glutathione metabolism, and the derivations of all those biomarkers could be regulated by RDM treatment. RDM has the therapeutic effect of GA by intervening change of endogenous metabolisms and the related metabolic pathways.