Effects of prenatal cold stress on maternal serum metabolomics in rats

Our previous studies have shown that prenatal cold stress leads to placental inflammatory response and induces anxiety-like behavior reduced in offspring rats. However, the role and mechanisms by which prenatal cold stress affects offspring remain unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the metabolic profiles from the maternal serum and helpful in understanding the role and mechanisms by which prenatal cold stress affects the offspring. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used to analyze serum metabolites, and PCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA were performed to analyze changes in metabolites in the maternal serum after cold stress of 3 or 7 days. The results showed that 19 metabolites in the CS (cold stress 7 days)-NS (control) group and 23 metabolites in the CT (cold stress 3 days)-NT (control) group were significantly altered. These metabolites were mainly associated with unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, and arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and glutamine and glutamate metabolism. The data indicated that prenatal cold stress not only affected the maternal neuroendocrine system, but also affected the immune system, and lipid and amino acid metabolism. These results further supported the findings of our previous studies on the effects of prenatal cold stress on the mother and offspring. A more comprehensive understanding of these data may lead to maternal intervention that can reverse the damage of prenatal stressors.