Metabolomic profile of adult Saanen goats infected with small ruminant lentivirus

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine metabolomic profile of adult female dairy goats and to detect any basic differences in metabolomic profiles between small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV)-infected and uninfected goats. Twenty four adult Saanen goats aged from 18 to 29 months, in the 5th month of the 1st (16 goats) or the 2nd (8 goats) lactation were blood-sampled. Blood was centrifuged and serum samples were frozen to −80 °C within 8 h of blood collection. Sixteen goats were seropositive and 8 seronegative for SRLV infection. All were in good condition and did not present any apparent signs of caprine arthritis-encephalitis. The concentration of metabolites belonging to six classes (amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and monosaccharides) was determined with mass spectrometry using a commercial AbsoluteIDQ® p180 Kit assay (Biocrates Life Sciences AG, Innsbruck, Austria) in the laboratory of the manufacturer. Eventually, 130 metabolites (69% of 188 available) were detected at concentrations exceeding limit of detection: 21 amino acids (all available), 11 biogenic amines (52% of 21 available), 7 acylcarnitines (18% of 40 available), 77 glycerophospholipids (12 lysophosphatidylcholines, 65 phosphatidylcholines) (86% of 90 available), 13 sphingolipids (87% of 15 available), and the sum of monosaccharides (hexoses). Only carnosine and symmetric dimethylarginine differed significantly between SRLV-seropositive and seronegative goats and both were lower in seropositive goats. This is the first study in which a very large set of metabolites was quantified in goat serum and provides throughout quantitative data on goat metabolome vital for further comparative studies in small ruminants.