1H NMR-based metabolomics approach to investigate the urine samples of collagen-induced arthritis rats and the intervention of tetrandrine.

Tetrandrine is an effective ingredient isolated from the roots of a frequently used medicinal plant Stephania tetrandra S. Moore. It has been used for the management of arthritis in China, but the precise mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, a metabolomics method based on the 1H NMR was constituted to quantify the alterations of the endogenous metabolites in the urines of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats treated with tetrandrine. Data showed that tetrandrine treatment could alleviate the ankle joint swelling and ameliorate histopathological changes in rats. The metabonomic analysis indicated that 23 potential biomarkers in urine were affiliated with CIA. They mainly participated in energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and gut microbe metabolism. Moreover, our results implied that tetrandrine could reverse the pathological process of CIA through adjusting the unbalanced metabolic pathways. Thus, these metabolic pathways and potential biomarkers might be the potential therapeutic targets of tetrandrine, and these findings supplied new visions into the protective effect of tetrandrine against arthritis in rats.