Osteoarthritis is a common multifactorial chronic disease that occurs in articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and periarticular tissue. The pathogenesis of OA is still unclear. To investigate the differences in serum metabolites between OA and the control group, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics was used. To reveal the pathogenesis of OA, 12 SD male rats were randomly divided into control and OA groups using collagenase to induce OA for modeling, and serum was collected 7 days after modeling for testing. The OA group was distinguished from the control group by principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis, and six biomarkers were finally identified. These biomarkers were metabolized through tryptophan metabolism, glutamate metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, spermidine metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism pathways. The study identified metabolites that may be altered in OA, suggesting a role in OA through relevant metabolic pathways. Metabolomics, as an important tool for studying disease mechanisms, provides useful information for studying the metabolic mechanisms of OA.
Keywords: LC/MS; metabolic pathway; metabolomics; osteoarthritis.