article · JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND LEGAL STUDIES NORTH-EASTERN UNIVERSITY GOMBE
This study investigates the molecular metabolic and immune responses induced by a COVID-19 vaccine in a rat model. Eighteen rats were separated into vaccinated and control groups and monitored under identical conditions for four weeks. Serum biochemical testing revealed no significant differences in total protein, globulin, or albumin levels between the cohorts, indicating no adverse systemic effects, although aspartate aminotransferase rose significantly to indicate localised metabolic activity. Vaccine characterisation and serum profiling via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed distinct metabolic shifts. Vaccinated rats showed notable upregulation of metabolites such as arachidonic acid, adenosine, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, with arachidonic acid and adenosine exhibiting the largest increases. Meanwhile, compounds including lactate, palmitoleic acid, and prostaglandin D2 were higher in controls, mapping key metabolic pathways altered by vaccination.
Understanding how vaccines alter internal metabolism provides clearer insight into how the body builds protective immunity at the molecular level. Identifying specific metabolic biomarkers affected by immunisation helps verify that vaccines stimulate the desired biological pathways without causing systemic toxicity. This contributes valuable baseline data for researchers tracking physiological responses and safety profiles during preclinical vaccine evaluation.
This research is at an early experimental stage using animal models. The identified metabolic pathways and biomarkers could potentially be used by vaccine developers and preclinical research organisations to monitor immune activation and evaluate formulation safety. However, the abstract does not indicate a direct commercial application, product, or near-term development pathway.
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Throughout history, infectious diseases have devastated societies, often altering the course of human civilization. In recent decades, the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases have accelerated at an unprecedented rate. Among the most impactful are coronaviruses, small, enveloped viruses (65–125 nm in diameter) named for their crown-like appearance under an electron microscope due to glycoproteins on their surface. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point in global health, driving unprecedented advances in vaccine development. This study examines the immune responses at molecular level triggered by COVID-19 vaccine using rat models. Eighteen rats were randomly assigned to two groups, with three replicates each: a control group (C) and a vaccinated group (VC). Both groups were maintained under identical conditions for four weeks, except for the vaccination received by VC group, after which blood samples were collected for analysis. Serum biochemical parameters, including globulin (GLB), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were evaluated. To further characterize the vaccine, ¹H NMR and LC-MS analysis were conducted to analyze the metabolites present in the vaccine. LC-MS-based metabolomics was employed for the variation between control and vaccinated rats. Multivariate statistical models, including PCA and PLS-DA, effectively discriminated the metabolic profiles of the control and vaccinated groups. Results revealed no significant differences in TP, GLB and ALB levels between the control and vaccinated groups, suggesting no adverse systemic effects post vaccination. However, AST levels were significantly elevated in the vaccinated group, indicating localized metabolic activity without systemic toxicity. Variable importance in projection (VIP) scores identified key metabolites driving group separation. Pathway analysis and heatmap visualization revealed that arachidonic acid, adenosine, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid metabolites were upregulated in vaccinated rats, with arachidonic acid, adenosine, and stearic acid showing the most significant increase. These findings suggest these metabolites play critical roles in the vaccine-induced immune response. Conversely, metabolites such as lactate, palmitoleic acid, oleoyl glycine, sphingomyelin, oleamide, and prostaglandin D2 were higher in the control group, indicating downregulation post vaccination. These shifts point to potential metabolic pathways perturbed by the vaccination contributing to a comprehensive understanding of its immune responses.
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DOI: 10.64290/jsls.v1i1.33
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