Integrating metabolomics and network analysis for exploring the mechanism underlying the antidepressant activity of paeoniflorin in rats with CUMS-induced depression
Overall design
In this study, a combination of network pharmacology and LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics was employed to explore urinary biomarkers of paeoniflorin in the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following 3 groups (n = 8 in each group): (1) control group, (2) CUMS group, and (3) CUMS + paeoniflorin group (stressor plus paeoniflorin treatment at the dose of 10 mg/kg). The CUMS stress procedure lasted for 6 weeks, and drugs were administered via intragastric once per day during the last 3 weeks of model building period. A urinary metabolomics method was applied to evaluate the efficacy of paeoniflorin. Eight samples per group were used for metabonomic analysis.
Lei C, Chen Z, Fan L, et al. Integrating metabolomics and network analysis for exploring the mechanism underlying the antidepressant activity of paeoniflorin in rats with CUMS-induced depression. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 13;13:904190.