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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Neuroactive metabolites and bile acids are altered in extremely premature infants with brain injury

Manuel Pristner1, Daniel Wasinger1, David Seki2

  • 1Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Cell Reports. Medicine
|March 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiome influences brain injury in premature infants. Researchers identified specific metabolic signatures, including bile acid conjugates, linked to brain injury in these vulnerable infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal neuroscience
  • Microbiome research
  • Metabolomics

Background:

  • Gut microbiome alterations are linked to neurophysiological changes in premature infants with brain injury.
  • The precise mechanisms and metabolic signatures remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate fecal and plasma metabolome profiles associated with neonatal brain injury in extremely premature infants.
  • To identify specific metabolic signatures and their link to the gut microbiome.

Main Methods:

  • Untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS) on fecal and plasma samples from 51 infants.
  • Integration of metabolomics data with 16S rRNA gene sequencing, cytokine, growth factor, and T cell profiles.

Main Results:

  • Early differentiation in neuroactive metabolites was observed between infants with and without brain injury.
  • Bacterially derived bile acid amino acid conjugates were detected in plasma and feces.

Conclusions:

  • Metabolite profiles, particularly bile acid conjugates, offer insights into early-life brain injury in extremely premature infants.
  • Gut microbiome-derived metabolites may play a role in neonatal brain development and injury.

Keywords:
bile acid amino acid conjugatesextremely premature infantgut-immune-brain axisneonatal brain injuryuntargeted metabolomics

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