Guo Jing, Krehl Karolina, Safraou Yasmine, Wallach Iwona, Braun Jürgen, Meierhofer David, Sack Ingolf, Berndt Nikolaus
Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Heliyon. 2024 Oct 22;10(20):e39674. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39674. eCollection 2024 Oct 30.
Pregnancy places a metabolic burden on the body including the liver, which is responsible for ensuring adequate nutrition for the maternal and fetal systems. To gain a better understanding of liver adaptation, this study investigates metabolic shifts occurring in livers of pregnant rats. Metabolic capacities of the livers of pregnant and non-pregnant female Wistar rats were assessed using comprehensive metabolic models. Kinetic metabolic models were generated for each animal based on protein abundance data from proteomics analysis allowing for a subject-specific assessment of hepatic metabolic functions. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD050758. Additionally, tissue stiffness, viscosity, and water diffusion obtained from magnetic resonance imaging and elastography were correlated with metabolic capabilities to study the relationship between metabolic function and biophysical properties. Proteome profiling revealed differences in protein expression in the livers of pregnant and non-pregnant animals. Functional analysis showed significant variations in metabolic capacities. Livers of pregnant rats had reduced capacities in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, along with altered urea synthesis. Additionally, there were associations between metabolic functions and biophysical properties highlighting potential links between changes in liver structure and metabolic capacities during pregnancy. In summary, our work reveals extensive hepatic metabolic changes in pregnant rats. The liver adapts its metabolic capacities to ensure whole-body metabolic homeostasis but may struggle to counteract nutritional challenges, such as hypoglycemia. The study, employing a personalized approach combining proteomics, kinetic modeling, and advanced imaging, sheds light on the intricate interplay between hepatic adaptations and medical imaging markers, providing a foundation for further investigations into the implications for maternal and fetal health.
怀孕给包括肝脏在内的身体带来代谢负担，肝脏负责确保母体和胎儿系统获得充足营养。为了更好地了解肝脏适应性，本研究调查了怀孕大鼠肝脏中发生的代谢变化。使用综合代谢模型评估怀孕和未怀孕雌性Wistar大鼠肝脏的代谢能力。基于蛋白质组学分析的蛋白质丰度数据为每只动物生成动力学代谢模型，从而能够对肝脏代谢功能进行个体特异性评估。数据可通过ProteomeXchange获取，标识符为PXD050758。此外，将磁共振成像和弹性成像获得的组织硬度、粘度和水扩散与代谢能力相关联，以研究代谢功能与生物物理特性之间的关系。蛋白质组分析揭示了怀孕和未怀孕动物肝脏中蛋白质表达的差异。功能分析显示代谢能力存在显著差异。怀孕大鼠的肝脏在碳水化合物和脂肪酸代谢方面能力下降，同时尿素合成发生改变。此外，代谢功能与生物物理特性之间存在关联，突出了怀孕期间肝脏结构变化与代谢能力之间的潜在联系。总之，我们的研究揭示了怀孕大鼠肝脏广泛的代谢变化。肝脏会调整其代谢能力以确保全身代谢稳态，但可能难以应对诸如低血糖等营养挑战。该研究采用了一种结合蛋白质组学、动力学建模和先进成像的个性化方法，揭示了肝脏适应性与医学成像标志物之间的复杂相互作用，为进一步研究对母婴健康的影响奠定了基础。
