Exhalation pattern changes during fasting and low dose glucose treatment in rats

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Breath analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a promising non-invasive technique.
• Long-term monitoring of VOCs is vital for tracking disease progression and treatment efficacy.
• The impact of fasting and glucose on breath analysis requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of fasting and glucose infusion on exhaled volatile metabolites.
• To determine the influence of these factors on breath analysis for medical research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a rat model with continuous intravenous infusion, comparing glucose and no-glucose groups over 12 hours.
• Analyzed exhaled gas using multicapillary column ion-mobility spectrometry (MCC/IMS).
• Identified analytes using the BS-MCC/IMS database.

Main Results:

• Glucose infusion significantly increased blood glucose and cardiac output.
• Ten volatile organic compounds showed significant concentration differences between groups.
• Compounds like isoprene, acetone, and various alcohols were notably affected by glucose administration.

Conclusions:

• Fasting and glucose administration demonstrably alter VOC profiles in exhaled air.
• These metabolic conditions must be carefully controlled for reliable long-term breath analysis.
• The study highlights the need to account for nutritional status in breath diagnostics.