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A Novel Human Epithelial Enteroid Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Published on: April 10, 2019
8.2K
Gut Sphingolipid Composition as a Prelude to Necrotizing Enterocolitis.
B Rusconi1, X Jiang2, R Sidhu2
1Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Scientific Reports
|July 22, 2018
Summary
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) shows altered sphingolipid metabolism before symptom onset. Decreased ceramides and increased sphingomyelins in infant stool may indicate a distinct NEC subtype, though not yet reliable for prediction.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Gastroenterology
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a significant neonatal health challenge.
- The precise pathophysiology of NEC is not fully understood, with gut dysbiosis being a known pre-event factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate metabolic differences in stool samples preceding NEC development.
- To explore the role of sphingolipid metabolism in NEC pathophysiology.
Main Methods:
- Broad-range metabolomics was applied to stool samples from NEC cases and matched controls.
- Targeted analysis and hierarchical clustering were used to analyze sphingolipid metabolism.
- Machine learning was employed to assess classification accuracy.
Main Results:
- Six metabolic pathways differed between NEC cases and controls.
- Cases showed decreased ceramides and increased sphingomyelins compared to controls.
- Hierarchical clustering identified a sphingolipid-associated group containing 60% of NEC cases, suggesting a distinct pathophysiological subset.
Conclusions:
- Significant alterations in sphingolipid metabolism are observed in pre-NEC stools.
- Sphingolipid profiles may help identify a specific subset of NEC.
- Further research is needed before sphingolipids can be used as predictive biomarkers for NEC.
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