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Received Jul 13, 2017; Revised Oct 15, 2017; Accepted Nov 26, 2017
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1. Introduction
Hypertension, a complex and multifactorial disease, is closely associated with gene, environment, and metabolic factor, also the most vital risk factor for cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease [1]. With the development of study, various theories had been proposed on the pathogenesis of hypertension. Previous research had indicated that endothelial dysfunction might be a crucial mechanism in pathogenesis of hypertension [2]. Under the damage of endothelial cells, active molecules such as ATP and 5-HT would be released. Because these molecules inhibited the activities of NO, CGRP, and other relaxing factors, the activities of ET and TXA2 were increased. Finally, these substances would lead to the increasing blood pressure level [3–5]. In another study, hypertension was considered as a neurogenic disease and it is proposed that the pathology of hypertension was significantly associated with multiple factors in neuroendocrine system [6].
In modern medicine, the hypertension had been studied from above perspectives. In the treatment of hypertension, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has formed a unique theoretical system and control methods. Chinese herbal medicines provided rational means for hypertension. Uncaria was employed in treating hypertension as a safe and effective therapy due to characteristics of multiple targets, multiple pathways, and fewer side effects [7]. Uncaria, with Chinese name of Gouteng and the Latin name of Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) from Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 version, was firstly recorded in the Chinese medical classics “Compendium of Materia Medica.” Rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline are the mainly bioactive components in Uncaria [8, 9]. Our previous studies indicated that Uncaria had effects on lowering blood pressure, protecting vascular endothelial cell, and inhibiting vascular smooth muscle proliferation [10, 11]. The antihypertensive mechanism of Uncaria is still unclear, although it has been in widespread application. In modern medicine, the holistic and systemic properties of TCM are consistent with the characters of metabolomics. Therefore, metabolomics might be the bridge between TCM and modern medicine. So metabolomics could be employed to perform such a comprehensive investigation.
Metabolomics, as an important branch of systems biology,...