Serum metabolomics proton NMR data from a porcine model of burn injury

Abstract

Background: Burn injury initiates a hypermetabolic response that leads to muscle wasting and organ dysfunction in burn patients. We examined the transition between “ebb” and “flow” in post-burn metabolism using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and serum from a porcine model of severe burn injury. We hypothesized serum metabolomes of porcine subjects would be distinguishable by time point, and changes in individual metabolite concentrations would characterize the shift from ebb to flow after burns.

Methods: Fifteen pigs received 40% total body surface area (TBSA) burns with additional pine bark smoke inhalation. Arterial blood was drawn at baseline (pre-burn) and every 24 hours until 72 hours post-injury or death. The aqueous portion of each serum sample was analyzed using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and metabolite concentrations were used for principal component analysis (PCA).

Results: Thirty-eight metabolites were detected in 39 samples. Thirty-one showed significant concentration changes between time points (p<0.05). PCA captured 51.6% of metabolite variability in the first two principal components and revealed clustering of samples by time point on a 2D scores plot. The first 48 hours post-burn, indicative of the shift from ebb to flow, were characterized by high concentrations of histamine, alanine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Later time points were characterized by rising concentrations of 2-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and isovalerate.

Conclusions: Post-burn metabolomes of porcine subjects were distinguishable by time point using 1H-NMR and principal component analysis. Our work identifies metabolites indicative of the transition from the ebb to flow phases of the response to burn injury, while also highlighting the accumulation of organic acids resulting from fatty acid catabolism and oxidative stress. Further studies will be required to elaborate on the post-burn metabolic pathways suggested by this analysis.