Objective:

2

To clarify the potential mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) on colorectal cancer (CRC) from the perspective of metabolomics.

Methods:

2

Forty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control (NC)

azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) model

low-dose BXD (L-BXD)

high-dose BXD (H-BXD) and mesalamine (MS) groups according to a random number table

8 mice in each group. Colorectal cancer model was induced by AOM/DSS. BXD was administered daily at doses of 3.915 (L-BXD) and 15.66 g/kg (H-BXD) by gavage for consecutive 21 days

and 100 mg/kg MS was used as positive control. Following the entire modeling cycle

colon length of mice was measured and quantity of colorectal tumors were counted. The spleen and thymus index were determined by calculating the spleen/thymus weight to body weight. Inflammatory cytokine and changes of serum metabolites were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS)

respectively.

Results:

2

Notably

BXD supplementation protected against weight loss

mitigated tumor formation

and diminished histologic damage in mice treated with AOM/DSS (

P

<

0.05 or

P

<

0.01). Moreover

BXD suppressed expression of serum inflammatory enzymes

and improved the spleen and thymus index (

P

<

0.05). Compared with the normal group

102 kinds of differential metabolites were screened in the AOM/DSS group

including 48 potential biomarkers

involving 18 main metabolic pathways. Totally 18 potential biomarkers related to CRC were identified

and the anti-CRC mechanism of BXD was closely related to D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism

phenylalanine

tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis

arginine biosynthesis

nitrogen metabolism and so on.

Conclusion:

2

BXD exerts partial protective effects on AOM/DSS-induced CRC by reducing inflammation

protecting organism immunity ability

and regulating amino acid metabolism.