Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based plasma metabolomics analysis in hypertensive patients with Yin deficiency and Yang hyperactivity syndrome

Table 1 Baseline comparison

Project	Healthy subjects	Hypertension (YDYHS)	Normal reference	t/Z	P value
WBC (× 109/L)	5.4860 ± 1.04219	6.7019 ± 1.52323	4.00-10.00	3.254	0.002a
RBC (× 1012/L)	4.7685 ± 0.41509	4.8728 ± 0.50817	4.00-5.50	0.809	0.422
Hb (g/L)	141.85 ± 14.147	145.79 ± 13.779	120-160	1.062	0.292
PLT (× 109/L)	236.45 ± 51.953	235.53 ± 47.571	100-300	-0.070	0.944
ALT (U/L)	14 (12, 17)	22 (15, 27)	< 42	-3.677	0.000a
AST (U/L)	17 (15, 19)	18 (16, 24)	< 38	-2.315	0.021a
TBil (μmol/L)	11.41 (8.84, 16.28)	11.10 (9.19, 15.28)	5.10-28.00	-0.319	0.750
ALP (U/L)	77.45 ± 18.349	83.12 ± 22.374	45-125	1.005	0.319
GGT (U/L)	14 (12, 19)	22 (16, 30)	11-50	-3.232	0.001a
CR (μmol/L)	72.4 (59.9, 84.4)	67.1 (59.8, 76.6)	44.0-110.0	-0.917	0.359
BUN (mmol/L)	4.12 (3.51, 4.87)	4.96 (4.13, 5.90)	2.86-8.20	-2.899	0.004a
Glu (mmol/L)	4.54 (4.31, 4.86)	5.54 (5.21, 5.95)	3.89-6.11	-5.474	0.000a

^aP < 0.05, there is statistical difference between the two groups. ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; BUN: Blood urea nitrogen; Glu: Glucose; WBC: White blood cells; RBC: Red blood cells; Hb: Hemoglobin; PLT: Platelets; CR: Creatinine.

Table 2 Differential metabolites between the two groups

No.	Var ID	HMDB	KEGG	FC	P value	PubChem	Trend
1	4-Hydroxybenzoic acid	HMDB0000500	C00156	11.566	< 0.01	135	↑
2	Pectin	HMDB0003402	C08348	3.1576	< 0.01	65550	↑
3	1,2,3-Trihydroxybenzene	HMDB0013674	C01108	2.7443	0.033	3446	↑
4	D-Ribose	HMDB0000283	C00121	2.6621	< 0.01	5779	↑
5	3-Hydroxybutyric acid	HMDB0000357	C01089	2.2031	0.011	441	↑
6	Quinic acid	HMDB0003072	C00296	1.8801	0.034	6508	↑
7	L-Lysine	HMDB0000182	C00047	1.6739	< 0.01	6508	↑
8	Oleic acid	HMDB0000207	C00712	1.5228	≤ 0.01	445639	↑
9	2-Hydroxybutyric acid	HMDB0000008	C05984	1.4935	0.01	11266	↑
10	Linoleic acid	HMDB0000673	159	14928	0.040	5280450	↑
11	Citric acid	HMDB0000094	C00158	1.4718	0.01	311	↑
12	Alpha-tocopherol	NA	NA	1.375	0.01	NA	↑
13	D-Glucuronic acid	HMDB0000127	C00191	1.3608	< 0.01	94715	↑
14	Glycerol	HMDB0000131	C00116	1.3121	< 0.01	753	↑
15	N-Acetyl-L-aspartic acid	HMDB0000812	C01042	0.48705	0.01	65065	↓
16	Beta-mannosylglycerate	NA	NA	0.59765	< 0.01	NA	↓
17	Indolelactic acid	HMDB0000671	C02043	0.65739	0.011	92904	↓
18	L-Glutamic acid	HMDB0000148	C00025	0.66721	0.011	33032	↓
19	D-Maltose	HMDB0000163	C00208	0.69193	0.01	10991489	↓
20	L-Aspartic acid	HMDB0000191	C00049	0.70828	0.042	5960	↓

According to substance comparison, numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 20 correspond to lyxose, pyrogallol, ribose, betahydroxybutyric acid, lysine, glucuronic acid, indole-3 act, glutamic acid, maltose 1, and aspartate, respectively. FC: Fold change.

Table 3 Metabolic pathways of differential metabolites

Pathway	Hits/Total	Expected	Impact	P value
Linoleic acid metabolism	1/5	0.041935	1	0.041
Alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism	4/28	0.23484	0.50722	< 0.01
D-Glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism	1/6	0.050323	0.5	0.049
Arginine biosynthesis	2/14	0.11742	0.11675	< 0.01