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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Plasma metabolomic profiling during peri-parturition in heal...
Equine veterinary journal2025; doi: 10.1111/evj.14550

Plasma metabolomic profiling during peri-parturition in healthy Thoroughbred mares.

Abstract: Accurate prediction of the timing of parturition is crucial to ensure the health and well-being of both mares and foals. However, equine pregnancies are characterised by significant variability in gestation length, unique endocrine mechanisms, and subtle physiological changes before parturition. Objective: To investigate the characteristic changes in the peripheral metabolites of mares before and after parturition using metabolomic approaches. Methods: Longitudinal in vivo metabolic study. Methods: Plasma samples (n = 95) were collected from successfully foaling Thoroughbred mares (n = 9) from 4 days before to 7 days after parturition, and a non-targeted metabolomic analysis was performed using GC-MS. PCA and hierarchical clustering analysis were used to compare different groups. Repeated measures ANOVA (RMANOVA) was employed to identify the various metabolites. Enrichment analysis was performed to find the related metabolomic pathways. Results: PCA and hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrated cluster separation between pre-parturition, parturition, and post-parturition. RMANOVA revealed significant differences in 62 metabolites across all time points (False Discovery Rate <0.05). These metabolites were significantly enriched in multiple metabolic pathways, including valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; galactose metabolism; arginine biosynthesis; valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis. Among these metabolites, glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) showed interesting changes that increased 3 days before parturition. Conclusions: The number of animals and samples included in this study was limited, and the reproductive history of the mares was not considered. In addition, this study did not conduct quantitative research to determine the specific concentrations and ranges of the key metabolites. Conclusions: G3P is a potential biomarker for predicting parturition. This research provides new insights into mares' periparturition blood metabolic changes. Unassigned: Eine genaue Vorhersage des Geburtszeitpunkts ist entscheidend für die Gesundheit und das Wohlbefinden sowohl der Stuten als auch der Fohlen. Pferdeträchtigkeiten sind jedoch durch eine erhebliche Variabilität in der Trächtigkeitsdauer, einzigartige endokrine Mechanismen und subtile physiologische Veränderungen vor der Geburt gekennzeichnet. Unassigned: Ziel dieser Studie war es, mithilfe metabolomischer Ansätze die charakteristischen Veränderungen peripherer Metabolite bei Stuten vor und nach der Geburt zu untersuchen. Unassigned: Longitudinale in vivo‐Stoffwechselstudie. Methods: Plasmaproben (n = 95) wurden von erfolgreich abgefohlten Vollblutstuten (n = 9) in einem Zeitraum von vier Tagen vor bis sieben Tagen nach der Geburt entnommen, und eine nicht‐zielgerichtete metabolomische Analyse wurde mittels GC–MS durchgeführt. PCA und hierarchische Clusteranalyse wurden verwendet, um verschiedene Gruppen zu vergleichen. Eine ANOVA mit wiederholten Messungen (RMANOVA) wurde eingesetzt, um verschiedene Metaboliten zu identifizieren. Eine Anreicherungsanalyse wurde durchgeführt, um die zugehörigen metabolomischen Signalwege zu bestimmen. Unassigned: Die PCA‐ und die hierarchische Clusteranalyse zeigten eine Trennung der Cluster zwischen der Phase vor der Geburt, der Geburt und der Phase nach der Geburt. Die RMANOVA ergab signifikante Unterschiede in 62 Metaboliten über alle Zeitpunkte hinweg (False Discovery Rate <0,05). Diese Metaboliten waren signifikant in mehreren Stoffwechselwegen angereichert, darunter die Biosynthese von Valin, Leucin und Isoleucin, der Galaktosestoffwechsel, die Argininbiosynthese, der Abbau von Valin, Leucin und Isoleucin, der Alanin‐, Aspartat‐ und Glutamatstoffwechsel, der Glyoxylat‐ und Dicarboxylatstoffwechsel sowie die Biosynthese von Pantothenat und Coenzym A. Unter diesen Metaboliten zeigte Glycerol‐3‐phosphat (G3P) auffällige Veränderungen, mit einem Anstieg drei Tage vor der Geburt. Unassigned: Die Anzahl der in diese Studie einbezogenen Tiere und Proben war begrenzt, und die Reproduktionsgeschichte der Stuten wurde nicht berücksichtigt. Darüber hinaus wurde in dieser Studie keine quantitative Analyse durchgeführt, um die spezifischen Konzentrationen und Bereiche der Schlüsselsubstanzen zu bestimmen. Unassigned: Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie deuten darauf hin, dass G3P ein potenzieller Biomarker zur Vorhersage der Geburt ist und neue Einblicke in die metabolischen Veränderungen im Blut von Stuten während der Peripartalperiode liefert.
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Publication Date: 2025-06-25 PubMed ID: 40558067DOI: 10.1111/evj.14550Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study has identified possible changes in mare metabolites around the time of parturition, or childbirth, using a process called metabolomic analysis. A standout finding was that a substance called glycerol-3-phosphate significantly increased three days before parturition. This could serve as a potential indicator of impending parturition.

Objective

  • The research aimed to investigate changes in the peripheral metabolites of Thoroughbred mares before and after parturition, notably childbirth, through metabolomic analysis.

Methods

  • The study used plasma samples achieved from nine healthy Thoroughbred mares spanning a period from four days before to seven days after parturition, furnishing a total of 95 samples for the study.
  • The research team employed non-targeted metabolomic analysis, which is an extensive approach to identifying and quantifying low-molecule chemicals, or metabolites in biological specimens. This analysis was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
  • Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to compare the different groups. These methods help simplify the complexity of high-dimensional data while retaining trends and patterns.
  • The paper states that Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RMANOVA) was used to identify different metabolites. RMANOVA is an extension of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) model that caters to repeated measures or within-subject designs. It was used here to study the variation in the metabolic changes across different time points throughout the gestation process.
  • The researchers also performed enrichment analysis to find correlated metabolomic pathways, which is the biological functions the metabolites are implicated in.

Results

  • 62 metabolites showed significant differences across all time points based on the RMANOVA. It was found that these metabolites were significantly enriched in multiple metabolic pathways. Some of these included arginine biosynthesis, valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and plenty others.
  • Among these metabolites, Glycerol-3-Phosphate (G3P) showed significant increases three days prior to parturition.

Conclusions

  • The number of animals and samples included in the study was limited, and the reproductive history of the mares was not considered.
  • The study also did not conduct quantitative analysis for the specific concentrations and ranges of the key metabolites.
  • Glycerol-3-Phosphate (G3P) is a potential biomarker for predicting parturition, though more research in the area will be needed.
  • This research provides new insights into mare blood metabolic changes during periparturition, and these findings could be critical for accurately predicting the timing of parturition for the health and well-being of mares and foals.

Cite This Article

APA
Li J, Matsumoto T, Liu H, Li C, Murase H, Yamamoto Y, Nagaoka K. (2025). Plasma metabolomic profiling during peri-parturition in healthy Thoroughbred mares. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14550

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Li, Junjie
  • Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsumoto, Touko
  • Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Liu, Hong
  • Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Li, Chunmei
  • College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Murase, Harutaka
  • Hidaka Training and Research Center, Japan Racing Association, Urakawa, Japan.
Yamamoto, Yuki
  • Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Nagaoka, Kentaro
  • Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.

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