Molybdenum-Induced Oxidative and Inflammatory Injury and Metabolic Pathway Disruption in Goat Pancreas

Background: Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential trace element for animals, but too much intake can cause adverse effects. Due to the metabolic characteristics of goats and other ruminants, they are more susceptible to the cumulative effects of Mo toxicity. A high Mo intake can cause multi-organ toxicity in ruminants, but the mechanism of damage to the pancreas is still unclear. The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the key regulatory pathways of pancreatic injury induced by Mo in goats using a metabolomics approach. Methods: Twenty male Yudong Black goats (22.34 ± 1.87 kg, six months) were randomly divided into a control group (fed a basal diet) and the Mo group (fed a basal diet supplemented with 50 mg·kg⁻¹ Na₂MoO₄·2H₂O). After 60 days of continuous feeding, their pancreatic tissues were collected and the mineral elements, antioxidant capacity, and inflammatory factors were examined. Untargeted metabolomics based on HILIC UHPLC-Q-EXACTIVE MS was used to analyze changes in metabolites. The core regulatory mechanisms were revealed by KEGG enrichment analysis. Results: The results demonstrated that goats in the Mo group showed obvious clinical signs, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, and unsteady gait. The pancreatic tissue of goats in the Mo group exhibited significantly elevated levels of Mo and copper, accompanied by a marked reduction in antioxidant capacity and concurrent increases in inflammatory cytokine levels. Between the Mo group and control group, 167 differentially expressed metabolites were identified. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that it disrupted multiple metabolic pathways, including glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and butanoate metabolism. Conclusions: This study mainly revealed, at the metabolomics level, that Mo exposure would disrupt the metabolic pathways related to antioxidant capacity in goat pancreata. It provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Mo-induced pancreatic injury in goats.