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World J Diabetes. Jan 15, 2019; 10(1): 23-36
Published online Jan 15, 2019. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v10.i1.23
Exploratory metabolomics of metabolic syndrome: A status report
Daniella Lent-Schochet, Matthew McLaughlin, Neeraj Ramakrishnan, Ishwarlal Jialal
Daniella Lent-Schochet, Matthew McLaughlin, Neeraj Ramakrishnan, Ishwarlal Jialal, Metabolism and Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, United States
Ishwarlal Jialal, VA Medical Center, Mather CA 95655, United States
Author contributions: Lent-Schochet D, McLaughlin M, Ramakrishnan N, and Jialal I contributed equally to this work and wrote the manuscript; Jialal I designed the aim of this invited minireview.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ishwarlal Jialal, MD, PhD, Assistant Dean, College of Medicine, California North-state University, 9700 West Taron Drive, Elk Grove, CA 95757, United States. ishwarlal.jialal@cnsu.edu
Telephone: +1-9166867300 Fax: +1-9166867310
Received: October 25, 2018
Peer-review started: October 25, 2018
First decision: December 10, 2018
Revised: January 4, 2019
Accepted: January 8, 2019
Article in press: January 8, 2019
Published online: January 15, 2019
Processing time: 83 Days and 8.7 Hours
Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is as a cluster of cardio-metabolic factors that greatly increase the risk of chronic diseases such as type II diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In the United States, obesity, physical inactivity, aging, and genetics (to a minor extent) have arisen as risk factors for developing MetS. Although 35% of American adults suffer from MetS, its pathogenesis largely remains unknown. Worse, there is a lack of screening and optimum therapy for this disease. Researchers have consequently turned towards metabolomics to identify biomarkers to better understand MetS. The purpose of this review is to characterize various metabolites and their potential connections to MetS. Numerous studies have also characterized MetS as a disease of increased inflammation, and therefore this review also explores how metabolites play a role in various inflammatory pathways. Our review explores a broad range of metabolites including biogenic amines, branched chain amino acids, aromatic amines, phosphatidylcholines, as well as a variety of other molecules. We will explore their biochemical pathways and their potential role in serving as biomarkers.

Keywords: Metabolic syndrome; Syndrome X, Metabolomics; Amino acids; Carnitine; Inflammation; Biomarkers; Diabetes

Core tip: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global epidemic that predisposes to type II diabetes mellitus, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. Whilst both insulin resistance and inflammation are advanced as pathogenic mechanisms, much work is needed to identify reliable biomarkers for this common cardio-metabolic disorder. In this mini-review, we provide a status report on the evolving field of metabolomics in MetS and it appears to offer some promising biomarkers such as branched chain amino acids, lysine, carnitine, phosphatidylcholine (PC34:1) and PC34:2. However there is an urgent need to direct greater effort to the metabolome of MetS to unravel its pathopysiology and usher in much needed therapeutics.