Metabolic Profiling Analysis of a d-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Model of Fulminant Hepatic Failure

The purpose of this study was to characterize the changes in metabolic intermediates and to investigate the metabolic profile of a mouse model of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), induced by d-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS). Plasma metabolite levels were detected using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the acquired data were transferred into Simca-P and processed using principal components analysis (PCA). In total, 45 metabolites were identified from the 267 distinct compounds found in the study. Whereas significant differences were noted in the plasma levels of the control and FHF groups, no differences in gluconeogenesis or glycolysis were noted following GalN/LPS treatment. Our data also suggest that the production of ketone bodies, and the tricarboxylic acid and urea cycles, was inhibited. PCA data suggest that 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, and phosphate parameters had the highest weights on each of the principal components, and that they were the most important metabolites contributing to the separation of groups. In conclusion, this metabonomic approach can be used as a powerful tool to characterize changes in metabolic intermediates and to search for metabolic markers under certain pathophysiological conditions, such as FHF. Our data also demonstrate that a combination of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, and phosphate concentrations in the plasma is a potential marker for FHF, as well as for the early prognosis of FHF. Keywords: metabonomics • GC/MS • fulminant hepatic failure