[Serum metabonomics study on Cr (Ⅵ ) subchronic exposure rats based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS platform]

Objective: To ananlyze the toxic effects and mechanisms of Cr (Ⅵ) subchronic exposure based on metabonomics techniques. Methods: Twenty-nine female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, low dose group and high dose group, 10, 9, 10, respectively. The control group, low dose group and high dose group were treated with 0, 10, 50 mg/L Cr (Ⅵ) for 90 days respec tively. The serum samples of rats with different dose of Cr (Ⅵ) treatment were detected Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique and data was analyzed by PCA, PLS-DA and OPLS-DA to compare with metabolic profile in different Cr (Ⅵ) dose treatments. Pathway analysis was performed using MetaboAnalyst 4.0 software. Results: UPLC-Q- TOF-MS/MS has stable detection performance and reliable experimental data. The control group, low Cr (Ⅵ) and high Cr (Ⅵ ) metabolic profiles of rats serum differences was obviously, and there is significant difference of serum metabolic profile among rats treated with different dose of Cr (Ⅵ) . 18 differential metabolites were screened between Cr (Ⅵ) low dose group and control group, 23 differential metabolites between Cr (Ⅵ) high dose group and control group. Compared to control group, there were 13 differential metabolites in both Cr (Ⅵ) high dose group and Cr (Ⅵ ) low dose group, such as 3-Hydroxy-11Z-octadecenoylcarnitine, Anserine, Farnesyl pyrophosphate, Linoleoyl ethanolamid e, Linoleyl carnitine, Lithocholate 3-O-glucuronide, LysoPC [20∶2(11Z, 14Z) ], LysoPC[20∶3 (5Z, 8Z, 11Z) ], LysoPC[22∶2(13Z, 16Z) ], PG[16∶0/22∶5(7Z, 10Z, 13Z, 16Z, 19Z) ], PI[18∶1 (11Z) /20∶4(5Z, 8Z, 11Z, 14Z) ], PI[20∶3(5Z, 8Z, 11Z) /18∶0], Serotonin. These differential metabolites were related to Glycerophospholipid metabolism, Tryptophan metabolism, Pentose and glucuronate interconversions, Terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Conclusion: Cr (Ⅵ) subchronic exposure could induce the significant difference of serum metabolic profile. The differential metabolites induced by Cr (Ⅵ) subchronic ex- posure were mainly related to amino acid and lipid metabolism.