Quantitative Metabolomics Analysis of Depression based on PLS-DA Model

Application of metabolomics for the study of some diseases could include the identification of prognosis of a diagnostic markers for the disease. Depression is a disease that disrupts metabolism. Our study aimed to use metabolomics approaches to the investigation of stress-induced depression. For processing our data, which we have obtained by measuring concentrations of metabolites (Amino Acids, Biogenic Amines, Acylcarnitines, Lysophosphatidylcholines, Phosphatidylcholines, Sphingomyelins, and Hexoses) in the blood plasma of depressive rats, we have use mathematical method PLS DA. A Variance Importance in Projection (VIP) score was a measure of a features importance in the PLS-DA model. We have presented ten metabolites with VIP score higher than two from the whole analyzed metabolites file. We have found different metabolism between female and male rats and depressive groups, too. The study has shown which parameters in blood plasma could indicate changes in metabolism due to stress-induced depression in rats. However, these results require further analyzes and clinical trials to assess changes in metabolomics in depressed individuals.