Objective: To investigate the protective effects of panax notoginseng saponins(PNS) in rats with early stage of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through serum metabonomic analysis. Method: The rats received intraperitoneal injection with a single dose of cisplatin

and a subset of rats were also intraperitoneally injected with PNS once a day. After 24 hours

the renal functions of the rats were evaluated; the pathological changes of renal tissues were observed by using hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE); and the serum metabolic profiles were analyzed by using nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomics technology. Result: PNS decreased the concentration of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

and improved the renal histopathological damages. Additionally

principal component analysis (PCA)

partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) of the serum samples showed a clear difference for the normal control group from cisplatin-only group and the cisplatin-PNS group

and showed a part overlap between the cisplatin-only group and the cisplatin-PNS group. Moreover

acetone

n-acetyl glycoprotein signals

pyruvate

lipid and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) expression levels were lower

while glucose

valine and tyrosine expression levels were higher in the cisplatin-only group and the cisplatin-PNS group when compared with the normal control group. The expression level of lactate in the cisplatin-only group was higher than that in the cisplatin-PNS group. In addition

the expression level of phenylalanine in cisplatin-PNS group and normal control group was higher

while the expression level of tyrosine was lower than those in the cisplatin-only group. Metabolic pathways of different metabolites mainly included pentose-phosphate pathway

glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways

pyruvate pathways and other pathways related with energy metabolism. Conclusion: PNS had a protective effect on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

and its protective mechanism may be associated with reversing the disturbed metabolism induced by cisplatin

especially the disturbed energy metabolism.