Untargeted Metabolome Analysis of Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies Reveals Metabolite Differences That Are Associated with Infant Birth Outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Prenatal alcohol exposure can produce offspring growth deficits and is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disability. We used untargeted metabolomics to generate mechanistic insight into how alcohol impairs fetal development. In the Western Cape Province of South Africa, 52 women between gestational weeks 5-36 (mean 18.5 ± 6.5) were recruited, and they provided a finger-prick fasting bloodspot that underwent mass spectrometry. Metabolomic data were analyzed using partial least squares-discriminant analyses (PLS-DA) to identify metabolites that correlated with alcohol exposure and infant birth outcomes. Women who consumed alcohol in the past seven days were distinguished by a metabolite profile that included reduced sphingomyelins, cholesterol, and pregnenolones, and elevated fatty acids

SUBMITTER: Hasken JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9786146 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature