(1)H NMR-based urine metabolic profile of IUGR, LGA, and AGA newborns in the first week of life.
Under conditions of non-optimal supply of nutrients, maternal diet during gestation can alter the balance between anabolic and catabolic pathways of fetus and triggers an effect of programming to the metabolic syndrome. Metabolomics is an analytical technique that has been recently attracting increasing interest for the identification of biomarkers of dietary exposure. In this study, a NMR-based metabolomic approach was employed for an explorative analysis of the time-related urinary metabolic profiles of three groups of newborns receiving a different fetal nutrition: adequate for gestational age (AGA), with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and large for gestational age (LGA). Urine samples were collected over the first week of life. Application of Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) evidenced similar time-related modifications in the metabolic profiles of the three classes of infants, consisting mainly of changes in levels of taurine, creatinine, betaine, and glycine. Furthermore, alterations in the content of citrate and myo-inositol were found to be characteristic of IUGR and LGA, whole levels were higher with respect to controls, while higher contents of betaine and succinate were noted in AGA. Our results positively support the application of the metabolomic approach in the study of the metabolic pathways associated to fetal malnutrition.
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, SS 554, km 4.5, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
Flaminia Cesare
FC
Marincola
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, University of Cagliari, SS 554, km 4.5, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
Angelica
A
Dessì
Neonatal Intensive Unit and Neonatal Pathology, "S. Giovanni Calibita" Hospital, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy.
Maria Grazia
MG
Pattumelli
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, SS 554, km 4.5, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
Sara
S
Corbu
Neonatal Intensive Unit and Neonatal Pathology, "S. Giovanni Calibita" Hospital, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy.
Cristina
C
Ossicini
Neonatal Intensive Unit and Neonatal Pathology, "S. Giovanni Calibita" Hospital, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy.
Simona
S
Ciccarelli
Neonatal Intensive Unit and Neonatal Pathology, "S. Giovanni Calibita" Hospital, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy.
Rocco
R
Agostino
Laboratory Medicine Service, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, University-Hospital, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: michele.mussap@hsanmartino.it.
Michele
M
Mussap
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, University of Cagliari, SS 554, km 4.5, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
Vassilios
V
Fanos
D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013997:Time Factors
Adequate for gestational age (AGA); Betaine; Fetal malnutrition; Glycine; Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR); Large for gestational age (LGA); Metabolomics; Myo-inositol; Taurine