PhyllanthusUrinariaL.(PUL)isatraditionalChinesemedicineusedtotreathepaticandrenaldisorders.However,themechanismofitshepatoprotectiveactionisnotfullyunderstood.Inthepresentstudy,bloodbiochemicalindexesandliverhistopathologicalchangeswereusedtoestimatetheextentofhepaticinjury.GC/MSandLC/MS-baseduntargetedmetabolomicswereusedincombinationtocharacterizethepotentialbiomarkersassociatedwiththeprotectiveactivityofPULagainstCCl_4-inducedliverinjuryinrats.PULtreatmentcouldreversetheincreaseinALT,ASTandALPinducedbyCCl_4andattenuatethepathologicalchangesinratliver.SignificantchangesinlivermetabolicprofilingwereobservedinPUL-treatedgroupcomparedwithliverinjurymodelgroup.SeventeenbiomarkersrelatedtothehepatoprotectiveeffectsofPULagainstCCl_4-inducedliverinjurywerescreenedoutusingnonparametrictestandPearson'scorrelationanalysis(OPLS-DA).TheresultssuggestedthatthepotentialhepatoprotectiveeffectsofPULinattenuatingCCl_4-inducedhepatotoxicitycouldbepartiallyattributedtoregulatingL-carnitine,taurocholicacid,andaminoacidsmetabolism,whichmaybecomepromisingtargetsfortreatmentoflivertoxicity.Inconclusion,thisstudyprovidesnewinsightsintothemechanismofthehepatoprotectionofPhyllanthusUrinaria.
