Comparison of sepsis rats induced by caecal ligation puncture or Staphylococcus aureus using a LC-QTOF-MS metabolomics approach

• A metabolomics method was proposed to separate sepsis induced by CLP or S. aureus.
• 8 potential biomarkers were identified in CLP whereas 10 were found in S. aureus.
• These potential biomarkers can be used to differentiate CLP from S. aureus sepsis.

Sepsis is a whole-body inflammatory response to infection with high mortality and is treated in intensive care units (ICUs). In the present study, to identify metabolic biomarkers that can differentiate sepsis models induced by caecal ligation puncture (CLP) or Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), small molecular metabolites in the serum were measured by liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) and analysed using the multivariate statistical analysis (MVA) of partial least square-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) method. The results demonstrated that the body showed obvious metabolic disorders in the sepsis groups compared with the control group. A total of 8 potential biomarkers were identified in the CLP group, and 10 potential biomarkers were identified in the S. aureus group. These potential biomarkers primarily reflected an energy metabolism disorder, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and tissue damage, which occur during sepsis, and these markers might potentially be used to differentiate CLP from Staphylococcus aureus sepsis.