Analysis of specific lipid metabolites in cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus

This work aimed to clarify the interaction between the fetus and pregnant patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the lipid metabolomics analysis of the fetal umbilical cord blood of GDM patients and normal pregnant women were performed to screen out the specific lipid metabolites for pathogenesis of GDM. From 2019–2020, 21 patients with GDM and 22 normal pregnant women were enrolled in Hexian Memorial Hospital, Panyu District, Guangzhou. The general information such as weight, height, age, body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy were analyzed. Non-targeted metabonomic detection and analysis were performed in umbilical cord plasma using LC-MS method. The age, BMI, delivery methods, and infant weight were different between GDM and control. There were 167 lipid metabolites in umbilical cord blood associated with GDM. Among them, 158 upregulated and 9 downregulated in GDM. There were 13 dysregulated metabolites with C < 30, including Lyso-phosphatidyl-colines LPC 16:0, 18:2, 18:1, 18:0, 20:4 and 22:6, glycerophosphocholines PC O-16:1, oleoylcarnitine CAR 18:2 and 18:1, dihexosylceramides Hex2Cer 13:0;2O, phosphatidylethanolamine PE O-22:6_2:0 and PE O-22:6_3:0 and sphingomyelin SM 8:0; 2O/11:0. Those metabolites were associated with glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Therefore, Lyso-phosphatidyl-colines, glycerophosphocholines, oleoylcarnitine, dihexosylceramides, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin were main lipid metabolites of GDM, which might be used for diagnosis and treatment of GDM.