Metabonomics Analysis of Myocardial Metabolic Dysfunction in Patients with Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Resistance

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an important biological marker and regulator of cardiac function. BNP resistance is characterized by high concentrations of less functionally effective BNP and common in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the roles and consequences of BNP resistance remain poorly understood. Investigate the effects of cardiac BNP resistance and identify potential metabolic biomarkers for screening and diagnosis. Thirty patients and thirty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography. The plasma levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and BNP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the cGMP/BNP ratio is calculated to determine cardiac natriuretic peptide resistance. Liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics analysis was applied to screen metabolic changes. The cGMP/BNP ratio was markedly lower in HF patients than controls. The cGMP/BNP ratio and ejection fraction (EF) were strongly correlated (R  = 0.676, P < 0.05). Importantly, metabolic profiles were substantially different between HF patients and healthy controls. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed metabolites are involved in signaling pathways that regulate cardiac functions. In HF patients, BNP resistance develops in association with a reduction in heart function and metabolic remodeling. It suggests possible functional roles of BNP resistance in the regulation of cardiac metabolism.