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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of the effect of hypothermia after simulated hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy based on blood metabolome
1 Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow, Russia
2 Belozersky Institute Of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Chupalav M. Eldarov
Akademika Oparina, 4, Moscow, 117997, Russia; ur.val4puhc@em
Funding: the study was supported by the Russian Federation on behalf of the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 22-15-00454).
Author contribution: Eldarov CM — sample preparation, conducting HPLC-MS/MS, chromatography–mass spectrometry data processing, manuscript writing and editing; Starodubtseva NL — metabolomic data analysis, statistical analysis; manuscript writing and editing; Shevtsova YuA — conducting the model experiment, sample acquisition and characterization, discussing the results, manuscript writing and editing; Goryunov KV — conducting the model experiment, sample acquisition and characterization, manuscript writing and editing; Ionov OV — study planning, manuscript editing; Silachev DN — study planning, discussing the results, manuscript writing and editing.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Belozersky Institute Of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University (protocol No. 8/22 dated 12 June 2022). The study was compliant with the standards of the Ethics Committee of the Belozersky Institute Of Physico- Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, and the Declaration of Helsinki (1964).
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a severe neonatal condition causing various neurological disorders and one of the main causes of mortality among full-term babies. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), i.e. the newborn’s body temperature decrease that significantly reduces the risk of fatality and contributes to improvement of long-term outcomes in infants with HIE is the key treatment method for moderate-to-severe HIE. However, the timely diagnosis and disease severity determination are crucial for this method to be used, and the method has a number of limitations and requirements. Assessment of the mechanism underlying the effects of TH and the search for the major metabolic pathways and potential targets for HIE therapy are relevant. The study aimed to assess metabolome of dried blood spots by HPLC-MS, since it is the least invasive to patients test for the search for markers and metabolic pathways most active in TH that are likely to mediate its positive effects. As a result, alterations in the class of phosphoglycerolipids were found, which suggests an important role of endocannabinoid metabolism in protection of the body against HIE. Furthermore, metabolic pathways of ubiquinone, certain fatty acids, and bile acids were altered. The targeted quantitative studies of these metabolites will make it possible to optimize HIE diagnosis and treatment based on the potential targets identified.
Keywords: mass spectrometry, diagnosis, metabolomics, neonatal asphyxia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy