Maternal sleep deprivation disrupts glutamate metabolism in offspring rats

Maternal sleep deprivation (MSD) has emerged as a significant public health concern, yet its effects on offspring metabolism remain poorly understood. This study investigated the metabolomic implications of MSD on offspring cognitive development, with a particular focus on alterations in glutamate metabolism. Pregnant rats were subjected to sleep deprivation during late gestation. Plasma and brain samples from their offspring were collected at different postnatal days (P1, P7, P14, and P56) and analyzed using untargeted metabolomics with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant differences in various amino acids, including L-glutamate, L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, and L-tryptophan, which are crucial for cognitive function. Subsequent differential analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) demonstrated a gradual reduction in these metabolic differences in the brain as the offspring underwent growth and development. KEGG pathway analysis revealed differential regulation of several pathways, including alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, histidine metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, at different developmental stages. Mantel and Spearman analyses indicated that the observed changes in metabolites in MSD progeny may be related to various gut microbes, Ruminococcus_1, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group. Biochemical assays further demonstrated developmental changes in the L-glutamate metabolic pathway. Collectively, these findings suggest that MSD not only affects maternal well-being but also has enduring metabolic consequences for offspring, particularly impacting pathways linked to cognitive function. This highlights the importance of addressing maternal sleep health to mitigate potential long-term consequences for offspring.