Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy and without a history of diabetes mellitus. While there are limited metabolomic studies involving advanced maternal age in China, we aim to investigate the metabolomic profiling of plasma and urine in pregnancies complicated with GDM aged at 35–40 years at early and late gestation. Methods Twenty normal and 20 GDM pregnant participants (≥ 35 years old) were enlisted from the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies (CLIMB) study. Maternal plasma and urine collected at the first and third trimester were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results One hundred sixty-five metabolites and 192 metabolites were found in plasma and urine respectively. Urine metabolomic profiles were incapable to distinguish GDM from controls, in comparison, there were 14 and 39 significantly different plasma metabolites between the two groups in first and third trimester respectively. Especially, by integrating seven metabolites including cysteine, malonic acid, alanine, 11,14-eicosadienoic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, and 2-methyloctadecanoic acid using multivariant receiver operating characteristic models, we were capable of discriminating GDM from normal pregnancies with an area under curve of 0.928 at first trimester. Conclusion This study explores metabolomic profiles between GDM and normal pregnancies at the age of 35–40 years longitudinally. Several compounds have the potential to be biomarkers to predict GDM with advanced maternal age. Moreover, the discordant metabolome profiles between the two groups could be useful to understand the etiology of GDM with advanced maternal age.

Maternal gestatonal diabetes mellitus (GDM) and offspring high-fat diet (HFD) have been shown to have sex-specific detrimental effects on the health of the offspring. Maternal GDM combined with an offspring HFD alters the lipidomic profiles of offspring reproductive organs with sex hormones and increases insulin signaling, resulting in offspring obesity and diabetes. The pre-pregnancy maternal GDM mice model is established by feeding maternal C57BL/6 mice and their offspring are fed with either a HFD or a low-fat diet (LFD). Testis, ovary and liver are collected from offspring at 20 weeks of age. The lipidomic profiles of the testis and ovary are characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Male offspring following a HFD have elevated body weight. In reproductive organs and hormones, male offspring from GDM mothers have decreased testes weights and testosterone levels, while female offspring from GDM mothers show increased ovary weights and estrogen levels. Maternal GDM aggravates the effects of an offspring HFD in male offspring on the AKT pathway, while increasing the risk of developing inflammation when expose to a HFD in female offspring liver. Testes are prone to the effect of maternal GDM, whereas ovarian metabolite profiles are upregulated in maternal GDM and downregulated in offspring following an HFD. Maternal GDM and an offspring HFD have different metabolic effects on offspring reproductive organs, and PUFAs may protect against detrimental outcomes in the offspring, such as obesity and diabetes.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy and without a history of diabetes mellitus. It can lead to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The incidence of GDM is closely related to maternal age, but there are only a few pregnancy-related metabolomic studies involving advanced maternal age (AMA) in China.Methods: 20 GDM and 20 normal pregnant participants(≥35 years old) were recruited from the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies (CLIMB) study. Maternal plasma and urine metabolomes collected at the first and third trimester were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: Of the metabolites identified using GC–MS, 165 metabolites and 192 metabolites were found in plasma and urine respectively. However, urine metabolomic profiles were unable to distinguish GDM from controls, while there were 14 and 39 significantly different metabolites in plasma of the two groups in first and third trimester. Especially, by combining seven metabolites including cysteine, malonic acid, stearic acid, alanine, 11,14-eicosadienoic acid, 2-methyloctadecanoic acid, and arachidic acid using multivariant receiver operating characteristic(ROC) models, we were capable of discriminating GDM from healthy pregnancies with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.928 at early gestation.Conclusion: This study explores metabolomic profiles between GDM and normal pregnancies longitudinally. Several metabolites have the potential to be biomarkers to predict GDM with AMA. Besides, the discordant metabolome profiles between the two groups could be helpful to understand the etiology of elderly GDM.