Brain Metabolomics Reveal the Antipyretic Effects of Jinxin Oral Liquid in Young Rats by Using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Pyrexia is considered as a part of host’s defense response to the invasion of microorganisms or inanimate matter recognized as pathogenic or alien, which frequently occurs in children. Jinxin oral liquid (JXOL) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been widely used to treat febrile children in China. Experimental fever was induced by injecting yeast into young male Sprague-Dawley rats (80 ± 20 g) and the rectal temperature subsequently changed. Four hours later, the excessive production of interleukin (IL)-1β and prostaglandin (PG) E2 induced by yeast was regulated to normal by JXOL administration. A rat brain metabolomics investigation of pyrexia of yeast and antipyretic effect of JXOL was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Clear separation was achieved between the model and normal group. Twenty-two significantly altered metabolites were found in pyretic rats as potential biomarkers of fever. Twelve metabolites, significantly adjusted by JXOL to help relieve pyrexia, were selected out as biomarkers of antipyretic mechanism of JXOL, which were involved in glycolysis, purine metabolism, tryptophan mechanism, etc. In conclusion, the brain metabolomics revealed potential biomarkers in the JXOL antipyretic process and the associated pathways, which may aid in advanced understanding of fever and therapeutic mechanism of JXOL.