Identification of Metabolomic Signatures for Ischemic Hypoxic Encephalopathy Using a Neonatal Rat Model

A study was performed to determine early metabolomic markers of ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy (HIE) using a Rice–Vannucci model for newborn rats. Dried blood spots from 7-day-old male and female rat pups, including 10 HIE-affected animals and 16 control animals, were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) in positive and negative ion recording modes. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed two distinct clusters of metabolites in both HPLC-MS modes. Subsequent univariate statistical analysis identified 120 positive and 54 negative molecular ions that exhibited statistically significant change in concentration, with more than a 1.5-fold difference after HIE. In the HIE group, the concentrations of steroid hormones, saturated mono- and triglycerides, and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were significantly decreased in positive mode. On the contrary, the concentration of unsaturated PCs was increased in the HIE group. Among negatively charged molecular ions, the greatest variations were found in the categories of phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylinositols, and triglycerides. The major metabolic pathways associated with changed metabolites were analyzed for both modes. Metabolic pathways such as steroid biosynthesis and metabolism fatty acids were most affected. These results underscored the central role of glycerophospholipid metabolism in triggering systemic responses in HIE. Therefore, lipid biomarkers’ evaluation by targeted HPLC-MS research could be a promising approach for the early diagnosis of HIE.