Metabolome-wide association study on physical activity

Immunometabolic Chaos in Septic Shock

Septic shock is associated with over 40% mortality. The immune response in septic shock is tightly regulated by cellular metabolism and transitions from early hyper-inflammation to later hypo-inflammation. Patients are susceptible to secondary infections during hypo-inflammation. The magnitude of the metabolic dysregulation and the effect of plasma metabolites on the circulating immune cells in septic shock are not reported. We hypothesized that the accumulated plasma metabolites affect the immune response in septic shock during hypo-inflammation. Our study took a unique approach. Using peripheral blood from adult septic shock patients and healthy controls, we studied: 1. Whole blood stimulation ± E. Coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS: endotoxin) to analyze plasma TNF protein, and 2. Plasma metabolomic profile by Metabolon. Inc. 3. We exposed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls to commercially available carbohydrate, amino acid, and fatty acid metabolites and studied the response to LPS. We report that: 1. The whole blood stimulation of the healthy control group showed a significantly upregulated TNF protein, while the septic shock group remained endotoxin tolerant, a biomarker for hypo-inflammation. 2. A significant accumulation of carbohydrate, amino acid, fatty acid, ceramide, sphingomyelin, and TCA cycle pathway metabolites in septic shock plasma. 3. In vitro exposure to five metabolites repressed while two metabolites upregulated the inflammatory response of PBMCs to LPS. We conclude that the endotoxin-tolerant phenotype of septic shock is associated with a simultaneous accumulation of plasma metabolites from multiple metabolic pathways, and these metabolites fundamentally influence the immune response profile of circulating cells.

Characterization of the plasma metabolome and lipidome in response to sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgeries reveals molecular patterns of surgical weight loss

OBJECTIVES

Bariatric surgery improves metabolic health, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We analyzed the effects of two types of bariatric surgery, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), on the plasma metabolome and lipidome.

METHODS

We characterized the plasma metabolome (1268 metabolites) and lipidome (953 lipids) pre-operatively and at 3 and 12 months post-operatively in 104 obese adults who were previously recruited to a prospective cohort of bariatric surgery. The metabolomic and lipidomic responses to bariatric surgery over time were analyzed using multivariable linear mixed-effects models.

RESULTS

There were significant changes in multiple metabolites and lipids, including rapid early changes in amino acid and peptide metabolites, including decreases in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), aromatic AAs, alanine and aspartate, and increases in glycine, serine, arginine and citrulline. There were also significant decreases in many triglyceride species, with increases in phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines. There were significant changes in metabolites related to energy metabolism that were apparent only after 12 months. We observed differences by bariatric surgery type in the changes in a small number of primary and secondary bile acids, including glycohyocholate and glyco-beta-muricholate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the comprehensive changes in metabolites and lipids that occur over the 12 months following bariatric surgery. While both SG and RYGB caused profound changes in the metabolome and lipidome, RYGB was characterized by greater increases in bile acids following surgery.

Combined mediterranean diet-based sustainable healthy diet and multicomponent training intervention impact on plasma biomarkers and metabolome in older adults

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Healthy dietary patterns and exercise practices have been associated with improved metabolic and inflammatory profiles. However, studies regarding the combined effect of these interventions on plasma biomarkers and metabolome in older adults are sparser. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a combined Mediterranean Diet-based Sustainable Healthy Diet (SHD) and Multicomponent Training (MT) intervention on the plasma biomarkers and metabolome and how dietary intake and exercise could modulate these effects.

METHODS

SHD intervention included a weekly supply of Mediterranean Diet-based SHD food and four nutrition sessions involving a Mediterranean-Diet culinary workshop, and the exercise program included 50-min MT group sessions, held three times a week, lasting both 12 weeks. Plasma biomarkers were obtained through standard biochemical analysis. A proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics approach was used to study the metabolome in blood plasma. Repeated measures ANOVA were performed and adjusted for confounders.

RESULTS

SHD + MT intervention significantly decreased HDL-C and calcium. SHD + MT showed some changes in common with the SHD and MT group, namely a significant decrease in citrate levels (p = 0.009 for SHD + MT; p = 0.037 for SHDT) and an increase in pyruvate (p < 0.001 for MT and SHD + MT). The SHD + MT group also revealed specific changes in the levels of some amino acids (decrease in alanine, glutamine and lysine: p = 0.026; p < 0.001; p = 0.038, respectively). Increases in formate (p = 0.025) and unsaturated lipids (p = 0.011) are consistent with changes in energy and lipoprotein metabolism.

CONCLUSION

Our data show that a combined lifestyle intervention program, including a Mediterranean Diet-based SHD and MT, could modulate biomarker and metabolome and there seems to be a metabolic path associated to these interventions in older adults. Due to its wide-ranging relevance, it is pertinent to assess to what extent combined SHD and MT can contribute to better clinical profiles.

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in Multimodal Omics Data Integration: Paving the Path for the Next Frontier in Precision Medicine

The integration of multiomics data with detailed phenotypic insights from electronic health records marks a paradigm shift in biomedical research, offering unparalleled holistic views into health and disease pathways. This review delineates the current landscape of multimodal omics data integration, emphasizing its transformative potential in generating a comprehensive understanding of complex biological systems. We explore robust methodologies for data integration, ranging from concatenation-based to transformation-based and network-based strategies, designed to harness the intricate nuances of diverse data types. Our discussion extends from incorporating large-scale population biobanks to dissecting high-dimensional omics layers at the single-cell level. The review underscores the emerging role of large language models in artificial intelligence, anticipating their influence as a near-future pivot in data integration approaches. Highlighting both achievements and hurdles, we advocate for a concerted effort toward sophisticated integration models, fortifying the foundation for groundbreaking discoveries in precision medicine.

Metabolomics to Understand Alterations Induced by Physical Activity during Pregnancy

Physical activity (PA) and exercise have been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, obesity, and diabetes. In the context of pregnancy, maintaining an active lifestyle has been shown to decrease gestational weight gain (GWG) and lower the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertension, and macrosomia in offspring. The main pathways activated by PA include BCAAs, lipids, and bile acid metabolism, thereby improving insulin resistance in pregnant individuals. Despite these known benefits, the underlying metabolites and biological mechanisms affected by PA remain poorly understood, highlighting the need for further investigation. Metabolomics, a comprehensive study of metabolite classes, offers valuable insights into the widespread metabolic changes induced by PA. This narrative review focuses on PA metabolomics research using different analytical platforms to analyze pregnant individuals. Existing studies support the hypothesis that exercise behaviour can influence the metabolism of different populations, including pregnant individuals and their offspring. While PA has shown considerable promise in maintaining metabolic health in non-pregnant populations, our comprehension of metabolic changes in the context of a healthy pregnancy remains limited. As a result, further investigation is necessary to clarify the metabolic impact of PA within this unique group, often excluded from physiological research.