Metabolomics reveals serum metabolic signatures in H-type hypertension based on mass spectrometry multi-platform

H-type hypertension (HHT) is a disease combined with hyperhomocysteinaemia and hypertension (HT). This study aims to find specific metabolic changes and reveal the pathophysiological mechanism of HHT, which provide the theoretical basis for the early prevention and treatment of HHT.

Serum samples from three groups including 53 HHT patients, 36 HT patients and 46 healthy controls (HC) were collected. The targeted and untargeted metabolomics analyses were performed to determine the metabolic changes. Based on multivariate statistical analysis, the serum potential metabolites were screened and different metabolic pathways were explored.

Our results demonstrated that there were 28 important potential metabolites for distinguishing HT from HHT patients. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that the different metabolic pathways between HHT and HC group were arginine biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. The changed metabolic pathway of HT and HC group included linoleic acid metabolism. The specific metabolic pathways of HT-HHT comparison group had phenylalanine metabolism; phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis; glycine, serine and threonine metabolism.

Metabolomics analysis by mass spectrometry multi-platform revealed the differences of metabolic profiles between HHT and HT subjects. This work laid the groundwork for understanding the aetiology of HHT, and these findings may provide the useful information for explaining the HHT metabolic alterations and try to prevent HHT.