A maternal high-fat diet is accompanied by alterations in the fetal primate metabolome.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the serum metabolome of a primate model of in utero high-fat exposure.


METHODS
Serum from maternal and fetal (e130) macaque monkeys exposed to either a high-fat or control diet were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multivariate data analysis was performed to reduce the generated data set. Candidate metabolites were further analyzed for significance by using the analysis of variance and comparative t tests.


RESULTS
Approximately 1300 chromatographic features were detected. Through multivariate data analysis this number was reduced to 60 possible metabolites. With the use of comparative t tests, 22 metabolites had statistical significance (P < .05) over the entire study. By virtue of maternal high-fat diet alone, fetal phenotypic differences are accompanied by altered metabolite concentrations of 7 metabolites (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
In utero high-fat diet exposure is associated with an altered fetal epigenome and parlays a characteristic modification in the fetal metabolite profile.
Cox
James
J
Metabolomics Core Research Facility, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Williams
Sarah
S
Grove
Kevin
K
Lane
Robert H
RH
Aagaard-Tillery
Kjersti M
KM
D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D047109:Fetal Development; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008251:Macaca; D055442:Metabolome / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis
D004041:Dietary Fats