Metabolomics in the study of spontaneous animal diseases

Abstract

Using analytical chemistry techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid or gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/GC-MS), metabolomics allows detection of most endogenous and exogenous metabolites in a biological sample. Metabolomics has a wide range of applications, and has been employed in nutrition science, toxicology, environmental studies, and systems biology. Metabolomics is particularly useful in biomedical science, and has been used for diagnostic laboratory testing, identifying targets for drug development, and monitoring drug metabolism, mode of action, and toxicity. Despite its immense potential, metabolomics remains underutilized in the study of spontaneous animal diseases. Our aim was to comprehensively review the existing literature on the use of metabolomics in spontaneous veterinary diseases. Three databases were used to find journal articles that applied metabolomics in veterinary medicine. A screening process was then conducted to eliminate references that did not meet the eligibility criteria; only primary research studies investigating spontaneous animal disease were included; 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. The main techniques used were NMR and MS. All studies detected metabolite alterations in diseased animals compared with non-diseased animals. Metabolomics was mainly used to study diseases of the digestive, reproductive, and musculoskeletal systems. Inflammatory conditions made up the largest proportion of studies when articles were categorized by disease process. Following a comprehensive analysis of the literature on metabolomics in spontaneous veterinary diseases, we concluded that metabolomics, although in its early stages in veterinary research, is a promising tool regarding diagnosis, biomarker discovery, and in uncovering new insights into disease pathophysiology.

Invited Review: Ketosis Diagnosis and Monitoring in High-Producing Dairy Cows

“…NMR is a non-destructive, highly accurate, and reproducible technique, but less sensible and less encompassing than MS. The combination of MS with chromatography increases the sensitivity of the technique [63].…”

“…It is a field of science in development that detects and quantifies metabolites and small molecules like ketones, fatty acids, sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, organic acids, etc. [63]. The elaboration of metabolites' profiles in biofluids, cells or tissues, allows the discovery of new pathologies biomarkers [96].…”

“…Metabolomic analyses use one or more analytical techniques, usually NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), two non-destructive, highly accurate, and reproducible techniques. In their review article, Tran et al [63] found some studies regarding bovine ketosis. These studies found "differential metabolites among groups, thereby providing information on pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and prevention" [63], p. 7 of ketosis in dairy cows and some "Results suggests disrupted metabolic pathways in ketosis (fatty acid and AA metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and pentose phosphate pathway)."…”

“…These studies found "differential metabolites among groups, thereby providing information on pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and prevention" [63], p. 7 of ketosis in dairy cows and some "Results suggests disrupted metabolic pathways in ketosis (fatty acid and AA metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and pentose phosphate pathway)." [63], p. 7. Even having some limitations, this new scientific field has an enormous potential that has been being underutilized in veterinary medicine.…”

Metabolomic serum abnormalities in dogs with hepatopathies

“…Metabolomic investigations of hepatopathies in veterinary medicine are still very limited 23 , 24 . Only a few studies have evaluated serum metabolomics with specific MS methods in dogs with liver diseases 25 , 26 .…”