PR000887 (Project)

Description:Hypospadias, characterized by the displacement of the opening of the urethra at any point in the medial-ventral side of the penis, is classified upon severity as mild (Type I) and severe (Type II and Type III) hypospadias. Hypospadias’ etiology is idiopathic in the majority of cases, and underlying causes seem of multifactorial origin. Studies regarding genetic variants support this notion. It is unknown whether downstream gene products fit this profile. This study evaluated the metabolome of hypospadias by using the emerging technology of metabolomics in the search for distinct cellular processes associated with hypospadias’ etiology according to the severity of this congenital urogenital condition. Foreskin samples were collected during urethroplasty from boys with Type I, II, and III hypospadias or undergoing elective circumcision (N=28) between 5 to 28 months of age. Samples were processed and submitted to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). MetaboloAnalyst (http://www.metaboanalyst.ca/) online platform was used for bioinformatic analyses. The metabolome of Type II and Type III hypospadias patients differs from the metabolome of Type I hypospadias and control patients. Thirty-five metabolites were identified by GC/MS. Of those, 14 metabolites, amino acids, were found in significantly low concentrations in Type II and Type III hypospadias in comparison to Type I hypospadias and controls. Amino acids comprised asparagine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, and tyrosine. The difference observed in the metabolome between severe and mild hypospadias supports previous research work of plausible severity-dependent etiologies for hypospadias. The observed downregulation of specific amino acids in severe hypospadias provides alternative routes for future research aiming to identify disrupted networks and pathways while considering the severity of hypospadias.