Untargeted metabolomics approach (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) explores the biomarkers of serum and urine in overweight/obese young men.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Obesity is linked to metabolic diseases characterized by insulin resistance, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated the metabolic disorders of uncomplicated obesity to identify early alterations in biological systems.

METHODS AND STUDY

DESIGN

Metabolic differences between overweight/obese (n=36) and normal-weight (n=35) young Chinese men without known metabolic disorders were assessed. Metabolic profiling of the serum and urine was performed using ultra-performance liquidchromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was undertaken to reveal and classify the differences between the two groups.

RESULTS

Compared to normal-weight men, obese men had higher levels of the serum metabolites phenylalanine, Phe-Phe, and L-tryptophan, whereas those of p-cresol sulfate and p-cresol were less in obesity. Urinary metabolites phenylacetamide, L-glutamine, phenylacetylglutamine, indoxyl sulfate, p-cresol, and p-cresol sulfate were greater in obese men.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that disorders involving aromatic amino acids and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) have microbiomic involvement in the uncomplicated phase of obesity.