Metabolic Profiling and Metabolites Fingerprints in Human Hypertension: Discovery and Potential

Figure 1. An overview of a typical metabolomics workflow from sample preparation to biomarker identification and pathways analysis. A combination of multiple techniques is often employed to detect, quantify and identify metabolites. Computer-aided statistical software is used to identify these metabolites by filtering, binning, aligning and normalizing detected features, and the pathways are identified using various databases and spectral libraries.

Figure 2. Overview of metabolic processes associated with hypertension. Metabolites are associated with hypertension, mainly resulting from the dysregulation of various metabolisms of amino acid, fatty acid, glucose, and steroid hormone, increased oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. FFA (free fatty acids), PCs (phosphatidylcholines), LPCs (lysophosphatidylcholines), C10 (decanoic acid).

Figure 3. Potential comprehensive metabolic mechanisms associated with the initiation and maintenance of hypertension. Multiple signaling pathways are involved in metabolic mechanisms associated with hypertension, and these pathways are interwoven, creating a cascade of events that complicates the pathogenesis of hypertension. Impairment of metabolism or hormone disorder activates pro-inflammatory signaling pathways and increases oxidative stress, causing insulin resistance, macrophage activation, oxidized LDL formation, and impaired vasodilatation, consequently resulting in vascular cell proliferation and migration, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling, leading to early vascular aging (EVA) and hypertension.