Investigation of metabolite alteration in dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis by GC-MS

Background: A metabolomic study of biomarkers associated with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced hepatic fibrosis in Sprague-Dawley rats was performed using GC-MS. The clinical chemistry of the collected blood and the histopathology of excised liver samples were examined, and urine samples were prepared by solvent extraction. Results: Through pattern analysis, the DMN-treated group was divided into two subgroups based on the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels compared with the control, a moderately higher group (DMN subgroup A) and a significantly higher group (DMN subgroup B). Uric acid, orotic acid, N-phenylacetylglycine and glutaric acid were biomarkers for DMN subgroup A, aminomalonic acid was a biomarker for DMN subgroup B, and arabitol level distinguished control versus DMN treatment regardless of AST level. Conclusion: This study suggests that the identification and profiling of AST level-related metabolites may be useful as a diagnostic tool and for the study of the mechanism of liver fibrosis induced by DMN.