October - December 2022, Volume 18, Issue 4

Ciobanu DM, Bala C, Rusu A, Roman G

Amino Acids Metabolomic Signature of Blood Pressure Variability in Type 2 Diabetes

Acta Endo (Buc) 2022, 18 (4): 494-501
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2022.494

Context. Accumulating data supports the key role of disrupted amino acids (AAs) metabolism in diabetes. Conflicting data regarding the relevance of serum AAs in diabetes and hypertension suggest that their relationship needs further investigation. Objective. To investigate serum AAs as biomarkers of increased BP variability evaluated during 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring in the presence of type 2 diabetes. Design. Cross-sectional. Subjects and Methods. We analyzed serum AAs using targeted metabolomics (ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry) in patients with type 2 diabetes (n=80). BP variability was assessed using 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. Participants were divided into two groups based on the 24-hour diastolic BP variability median value. Results. Aspartic acid, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine were significantly lower, while glutamine was significantly higher in the group with higher diastolic BP variability (p-value <0.05 and variable importance in the projection >1). Corresponding pathways identified as disrupted in patients with diabetes and a higher 24-hour diastolic BP variability were phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism (pathway impact value >0). Conclusions. We identified specific changes in serum AAs and target AAs pathways in relation to increased 24-hour diastolic BP variability in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: metabolomics, amino acids, blood pressure variability, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, diabetes mellitus.

Correspondence: Adriana Rusu MD, “Iuliu Ha?ieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Diabetes, Nutrition, Metabolic Diseases 2 Clinicilor street, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania, E-mail: adriana.rusu@umfcluj.ro