Systems response profiles to two Rehmanniae Radix formulae in metabolic syndrome patients

摘要

Objective: To explore the effects of two Rehmanniae Radix formulae in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a randomized controlled study was conducted. Methods: MetS patients were randomly assigned to receive either a classic Rehmanniae Six Formula (R6, or'Liu Wei Di Huang Wan') or a novel multi-herbal Rehmanniae Radix containing formula SUB889 for 8 weeks. Western medicine related clinical parameters, Chinese medicine defined symptoms and syndromes as well as metabolomic profiles were evaluated at different time points. Results: R6 (n = 20) and SUB889 (n = 20) showed similar effects on MetS regarding the improvement of clinical parameters (waist circumference, body mass index, LDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure) and Qi/Yin deficiency (p < 0.05). Decreased levels of cholesteryl esters, phosphatidylcholines, triglycerides and sphingomyelins were found in the R6 group, while SUB889 formula resulted in increased levels of tricarboxylic acid cycle and glucose metabolism intermediates (malate, fumarate and pyruvate). Conclusions: R6 and SUB889 have similar effects on the treatment of MetS by improving Chinese medicine and Western medicine defined clinical outcomes. R6 is more effective in improving lipid profiles compared to SUB889. The exact mechanisms of the two formulae on MetS remain to be elucidated.