Obesity,metabolic health and omics: Current status and future directions

The growing obesity epidemic is becoming a major public health concern, and the associated costs represent a considerable burden on societies. Among the most common complications of severe obesity are the development of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and various types of cancer. Interestingly, some obese individuals have a favorable metabolic profile and appear to be somehow protected from the detrimental effects of excessive adipose tissue accumulation. These individuals remain normoglycemic, insulin sensitive, and hypotensive with proper blood lipid levels, despite their high body mass index and/or waist circumference. Multiple independent observations have led to the concept of the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype, yet no consensus has been reached to date regarding a universal definition or the main mechanism behind this phenomenon. Recent technological advances and the use of high-throughput analysis techniques have revolutionized different areas of biomedical research. A multi-omics approach, which is used to investigate changes at different molecular levels in an organism or tissue, may provide valuable insights into the interplay between the molecules or pathways and the roles of different factors involved in the mechanisms underlying metabolic health deterioration. The aim of this review is to present the current status regarding the use of omics technologies to investigate the MHO phenotype, as well as the results of targeted analyses conducted in MHO individuals.     

Diagnosing,discarding, or de-VUSsing: A practical guide to (un)targeted metabolomics as variant-transcending functional tests

PurposeFor patients with inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs), any diagnostic delay should be avoided because early initiation of personalized treatment could prevent irreversible health damage. To improve diagnostic interpretation of genetic data, gene function tests can be valuable assets. For IMDs, variant-transcending functional tests are readily available through (un)targeted metabolomics assays. To support the application of metabolomics for this purpose, we developed a gene-based guide to select functional tests to either confirm or exclude an IMD diagnosis.MethodsUsing information from a diagnostic IMD exome panel, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and Inborn Errors of Metabolism Knowledgebase, we compiled a guide for metabolomics-based gene function tests. From our practical experience with this guide, we retrospectively selected illustrative cases for whom combined metabolomic/genomic testing improved diagnostic success and evaluated the effect hereof on clinical management.ResultsThe guide contains 2047 metabolism-associated genes for which a validated or putative variant-transcending gene function test is available. We present 16 patients for whom metabolomic testing either confirmed or ruled out the presence of a second pathogenic variant, validated or ruled out pathogenicity of variants of uncertain significance, or identified a diagnosis initially missed by genetic analysis.ConclusionMetabolomics-based gene function tests provide additional value in the diagnostic trajectory of patients with suspected IMD by enhancing and accelerating diagnostic success.     

Metabolomics in diagnosis and biomarker discovery of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a major public health concern, is the second leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. There is a need for better preventive strategies to improve the patient outcome that is substantially influenced by cancer stage at the time of diagnosis. Patients with early stage colorectal have a significant higher 5-year survival rates compared to patients diagnosed at late stage. Although traditional colonoscopy remains the effective means to diagnose CRC, this approach generally suffers from poor patient compliance. Thus, it is important to develop more effective methods for early diagnosis of this disease process, also there is an urgent need for biomarkers to diagnose CRC, assess disease severity, and prognosticate course. Increasing availability of high-throughput methodologies open up new possibilities for screening new potential candidates for identifying biomarkers. Fortunately, metabolomics, the study of all metabolites produced in the body, considered most closely related to a patient’s phenotype, can provide clinically useful biomarkers applied in CRC, and may now open new avenues for diagnostics. It has a largely untapped potential in the field of oncology, through the analysis of the cancer metabolome to identify marker metabolites defined here as surrogate indicators of physiological or pathophysiological states. In this review we take a closer look at the metabolomics used within the field of colorectal cancer. Further, we highlight the most interesting metabolomics publications and discuss these in detail; additional studies are mentioned as a reference for the interested reader.     

心血管疾病的代谢组学研究进展

心血管疾病负担日益加重,给国民健康造成巨大威胁.随着代谢组学技术研究的发展和进步,其正成为心血管疾病诊断、治疗及预后评估的一大利器.现就心血管领域的代谢组学研究进展做一简要综述.     

痰热清联合西医常规治疗成人社区获得性肺炎痰热壅肺证的临床疗效及GC-MS代谢组学研究

目的 探讨痰热清注射液联合西医常规治疗成人社区获得性肺炎(Community acquired pneumonia,CAP)痰热壅肺证的临床疗效及血清代谢组学研究.方法 选取2018年1月—12月期间在秦皇岛市第一医院呼吸与危重症医学科接受治疗的100例CAP痰热壅肺证患者作为研究对象,随机分为对照组和治疗组,每组各5...     

刺络联合舒利迭吸入疗法防治小儿哮喘的疗效观察

目的:探讨刺络联合舒利迭吸入疗法治疗小儿哮喘的临床疗效,并观察其用药前后的代谢组学变化。方法:选取2013年10月至2015年9月上海市宝山区中西医结合医院收治的哮喘患儿50例作为研究对象,按照随机数字表法随机分为对照组和观察组,每组25例。对照组采用沙美特罗替卡松粉吸入剂治疗,观察组在对照组治疗的基础上针刺四缝和少商穴位以及耳尖放血,间隔1 d进行1次,周期90 d。采集患儿用药前0 d,用药30 d,用药60 d,用药90 d的尿液,采用气相色谱-质谱联用技术(GC-MS)检测尿液内源性代谢物,观察治疗前后2组患儿临床症状评分、免疫指标以及代谢谱的变化情况。结果:观察组总有效率高于对照组,2组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);与治疗前比较,2组患儿各项中医症候均明显减轻,观察组改善程度比对照组更为显著,差异有统计学意义,2组免疫学指标与治疗前比较均显著降低(P<0.05),与对照组比较(90 d),观察组(90 d)各指标降低程度更为明显,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。采用有监督的分析-OPLS分析了治疗前对照组和观察组(0 d),治疗后(90 d)对照组和观察组的尿液代谢谱,结果显示4组代谢谱分离良好,鉴定了21个相关代谢标志物。结论:刺络联合舒利迭吸入疗法治疗小儿哮喘的临床效果确切,可改善患儿症状,降低免疫指标,其作用机制可能与丙氨酸,天冬氨酸和谷氨酸代谢、乙醛酸和二羧酸代谢和组氨酸代谢等代谢异常有关。     

肠道菌群及联用组学技术在中药领域上的研究进展

肠道菌群与各脏器相关联,能够反映中医药整体观特点。肠道菌群在中药作用机制、配伍应用和毒理等领域广泛应用。中药可影响肠道菌群数量和组成,改善肠菌丰度和多样性,同时肠道菌群也可代谢转化中药活性成分,与中药相互影响,促进中药药效发挥。肠道菌群联合代谢组学等多组学技术通过多层次分析,有利于全面阐释肠道菌群与中药作用机制。本文利用数据库综合检索近十年发表的相关文献,阐释肠道菌群和中药之间的相互作用,归纳总结肠道菌群在中药药效、配伍、炮制、毒理领域的研究进展以及与代谢组学等多组学技术联合应用,为深入研究肠道菌群和中药之间的关系及多组学技术在肠道菌群与中药之间的应用提供理论依据和参考。     

逍遥散对肝郁脾虚证和肝损伤模型大鼠干预作用的代谢组学研究

目的：利用代谢组学方法探讨肝郁脾虚证和肝损伤模型的共同本质及逍遥散的干预作用。方法将40只SD大鼠按随机数字表法分为空白对照组、肝郁脾虚证模型组、肝郁脾虚证给药组、肝损伤模型组、肝损伤给药组,每组8只。采用夹尾激怒致肝郁联合番泻叶致脾虚的方法制备肝郁脾虚证模型,采用四氯化碳致肝损伤法制备肝损伤大鼠模型。肝郁脾虚证给药组、肝损伤给药组灌胃2 g/ml逍遥散液,其余各组灌胃等体积生理盐水,连续给药28 d。末次给药后12 h,采用气相色谱-质谱法分析各组大鼠血清代谢物谱及含量变化,采用 HE 染色法观察各组大鼠肝组织病理学变化。结果肝郁脾虚证模型组和肝损伤模型组大鼠肝组织均出现细胞核萎缩、崩解、变性坏死并伴有淋巴细胞浸润等病理改变,且血清中甘氨酸、琥珀酸、丙酸、蛋氨酸、谷氨酰胺、苯丙氨酸含量较空白对照组升高(P＜0.05)。逍遥散可降低血清中甘氨酸、琥珀酸、丙酸、蛋氨酸、谷氨酰胺、苯丙氨酸含量(P＜0.05)。结论逍遥散可调节一碳单位、含硫氨基酸、芳香族氨基酸等特殊代谢及三羧酸循环,发挥肝保护作用。     

癌症患者血清代谢组学的HPLC和LC-MS研究

目的 本实验采用HPLC法和LC-MS技术检测了健康人和肿瘤患者人血清样品中的代谢产物,鉴定了与肿瘤生长相关的代谢物,以阐明癌症患者血清代谢组学规律.方法 HPLC条件:色谱柱为Phenomenex Luna(150mm×4.6mm,5μm),流动相为水-75％甲醇(0.1％醋酸铵水溶液);检测波长为215nm,进样量为l0μL;质谱条件为电喷雾离子检测器(ESI)负离子模式下检测;毛细管电压为2.74kV;锥孔电压为25.52V;离子源温度为100℃;得到保留时间和峰面积,数据经SIMCA-P+软件进行正交-偏最小二乘投影判别分析(OPLS-DA),表达出与肿瘤相关的差异代谢物;利用LC-MS对相关代谢物进行鉴定.结果 检测精密度RSD在0.04％～0.61％之间,健康人血清和肿瘤人血清中代谢规律得到明显区分;5种相关代谢组分得到提取和鉴定,分别为苏氨酸,色氨酸,甘油二酯,磷酰胆碱和硬脂酸.结论 肿瘤患者和健康人血清代谢规律有明显差异,鉴定出的化合物与肿瘤生长代谢密切相关,可为肿瘤疾病生物标记物的研究提供相关基础依据.