Combined transcriptomics and metabolomics to elucidate the underlying beneficial mechanisms of L-Theanine in mitigating obesity-induced cardiac injury in rats

Abstract

L-theanine (L-Thea), an amino acid that is found in tea, possesses significant nutraceutical properties. This study aimed to investigate the anti-cardiac injury caused by obese mechanism of L-Thea by transcriptome and metabolome. L-Thea enhanced serum biochemical indicators and reduced inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and cardiac tissues, and cardiac injury associated with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in rats. Transcriptome data revealed that the amelioration of cardiac injury was associated with aldosterone synthesis and secretion. The metabolome indicated that the cardiac disorder induced by an HFD is influenced by the contents of succinic acid and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. The joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome showed that L-Thea reversed cardiac injury mainly through amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, energy metabolism, and endocrine system pathways. Collectively, L-Thea has the potential to serve as a dietary supplement for the prevention or management of cardiac injury induced by obesity.

Keywords

• L-theanine
• Cardiac injury
• Obesity
• Transcriptome
• Metabolome