Ex vivo instability of lipids in whole blood: preanalytical recommendations for clinical lipidomics studies.

Reliability, robustness, and interlaboratory comparability of quantitative measurements is critical for clinical lipidomics studies. Lipids' different ex vivo stability in blood bears the risk of misinterpretation of data. Clear recommendations for the process of blood sample collection are required. We studied by UHPLC-high resolution mass spectrometry, as part of the "Preanalytics interest group" of the International Lipidomics Society, the stability of 417 lipid species in EDTA whole blood after exposure to either 4°C, 21°C, or 30°C at six different time points (0.5 h-24 h) to cover common daily routine conditions in clinical settings. In total, >800 samples were analyzed. 325 and 288 robust lipid species resisted 24 h exposure of EDTA whole blood to 21°C or 30°C, respectively. Most significant instabilities were detected for FA, LPE, and LPC. Based on our data, we recommend cooling whole blood at once and permanent. Plasma should be separated within 4 h, unless the focus is solely on robust lipids. Lists are provided to check the ex vivo (in)stability of distinct lipids and potential biomarkers of interest in whole blood. To conclude, our results contribute to the international efforts towards reliable and comparable clinical lipidomics data paving the way to the proper diagnostic application of distinct lipid patterns or lipid profiles in the future.

Medium-chain triglyceride production in Nannochloropsis via a fatty acid chain length discriminating mechanism.

Depending on their fatty acid (FA) chain length, triacylglycerols (TAGs) have distinct applications; thus, a feedstock with a genetically designed chain length is desirable to maximize process efficiency and product versatility. Here, ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo profiling of the large set of type-2 diacylglycerol acyltransferases (NoDGAT2s) in the industrial oleaginous microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica revealed two endoplasmic reticulum-localized enzymes that can assemble medium-chain FAs (MCFAs) with 8-12 carbons into TAGs. Specifically, NoDGAT2D serves as a generalist that assembles C8-C18 FAs into TAG, whereas NoDGAT2H is a specialist that incorporates only MCFAs into TAG. Based on such specialization, stacking of NoDGAT2D with MCFA- or diacylglycerol-supplying enzymes or regulators, including rationally engineering Cuphea palustris acyl carrier protein thioesterase, Cocos nucifera lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase, and Arabidopsis thaliana WRINKLED1, elevated the medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) share in total TAG 66-fold and MCT productivity 64.8-fold at the peak phase of oil production. Such functional specialization of NoDGAT2s in the chain length of substrates and products reveals a dimension of control in the cellular TAG profile, which can be exploited for producing designer oils in microalgae.

Oral micronized progesterone versus vaginal progesterone for luteal phase support in fresh embryo transfer cycles: a multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority trial.

STUDY QUESTION: Does oral micronized progesterone result in a non-inferior ongoing pregnancy rate compared to vaginal progesterone gel as luteal phase support (LPS) in fresh embryo transfer cycles? SUMMARY ANSWER: The ongoing pregnancy rate in the group administered oral micronized progesterone 400 mg per day was non-inferior to that in the group administered vaginal progesterone gel 90 mg per day. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: LPS is an integrated component of fresh IVF, for which an optimal treatment regimen is still lacking. The high cost and administration route of the commonly used vaginal progesterone make it less acceptable than oral micronized progesterone; however, the efficacy of oral micronized progesterone is unclear owing to concerns regarding its low bioavailability after the hepatic first pass. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This non-inferiority randomized trial was conducted in eight academic fertility centers in China from November 2018 to November 2019. The follow-up was completed in April 2021. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: A total of 1310 infertile women who underwent their first or second IVF cycles were enrolled. On the day of hCG administration, the patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups for LPS: oral micronized progesterone 400 mg/day (n = 430), oral micronized progesterone 600 mg/day (n = 440) or vaginal progesterone 90 mg/day (n = 440). LPS was started on the day of oocyte retrieval and continued till 11-12 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was the rate of ongoing pregnancy. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: In the intention-to-treat analysis, the rate of ongoing pregnancy in the oral micronized progesterone 400 mg/day group was non-inferior to that of the vaginal progesterone gel group [35.3% versus 38.0%, absolute difference (AD): -2.6%; 95% CI: -9.0% to 3.8%, P-value for non-inferiority test: 0.010]. There was insufficient evidence to support the non-inferiority in the rate of ongoing pregnancy between the oral micronized progesterone 600 mg/day group and the vaginal progesterone gel group (31.6% versus 38.0%, AD: -6.4%; 95% CI: -12.6% to -0.1%, P-value for non-inferiority test: 0.130). In addition, we did not observe a statistically significant difference in the rate of live births between the groups. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The primary outcome of our trial was the ongoing pregnancy rate; however, the live birth rate may be of greater clinical interest. Although the results did not show a difference in the rate of live births, they should be confirmed by further trials with larger sample sizes. In addition, in this study, final oocyte maturation was triggered by hCG, and the findings may not be extrapolatable to cycles with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triggers. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Oral micronized progesterone 400 mg/day may be an alternative to vaginal progesterone gel in patients reluctant to accept the vaginal route of administration. However, whether a higher dose of oral micronized progesterone is associated with a poorer pregnancy rate or a higher rate of preterm delivery warrants further investigation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This research was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82071718). None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/) with the number ChiCTR1800015958. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE: May 2018. DATE OF FIRST PATIENT'S ENROLMENT: November 2018.

Lipid Profiling of 20 Mammalian Cells by Capillary Microsampling Combined with High-Resolution Spectral Stitching Nanoelectrospray Ionization Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry.

Studies of cellular metabolism can provide profound insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and metabolic function. To date, the majority of cellular metabolism studies based on chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) require population cells to obtain informative metabolome. These methods are not only time-consuming but also not suitable for amount-limited cell samples such as circulating tumor cells, stem cells, and neurons. Therefore, it is extremely essential to develop analytical methods enabling to detect metabolome from tens of cells in a high-throughput and high-sensitivity way. In this work, a novel platform for rapid and sensitive detection of lipidome in 20 mammalian cells was proposed using capillary microsampling combined with high-resolution spectral stitching nanoelectrospray ionization direct-infusion MS. It can be used to collect cells rapidly and accurately via the capillary microprobe, extract lipids directly in a 96-well plate using a spray solvent, and detect more than 500 lipids covering 19 lipid subclasses within 3 min. This novel platform was successfully applied to study the lipid features of different cancer cell types and subtypes as well as target cells from tissue samples. This study provides a strategy for determining the lipid species with rich information in tens of cells and demonstrates great potential for clinical applications.

Strategy for Nontargeted Metabolomic Annotation and Quantitation Using a High-Resolution Spectral-Stitching Nanoelectrospray Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry with Data-Independent Acquisition.

Direct-infusion nanoelectrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (DI-nESI-HRMS) is an alternative approach to chromatography-MS-based techniques for nontargeted metabolomics, offering a high sample throughout. However, its annotation accuracy of analytes is still full of challenges. In this study, we proposed a strategy for the annotation and quantitation of nontargeted metabolomic data using a spectral-stitching DI-nESI-HRMS with data-independent acquisition. The metabolite annotation strategy included the isotopic distribution, MS/MS spectrum similarity, and precursor and product ion correlation as well as matching of the extracted metabolite features along with the targeted metabolite precursors. Two groups of mixed standard solutions containing 40 and 79 metabolites were, respectively, used to establish the metabolite annotation strategy and validate its reliability. The results showed that the detected standards could be well annotated at top three explanations and total qualitative percentages were 100% (40 of 40) for the standard solution and 94.9% (74 of 78) for the standards spiked into the serum matrix. The intensity of the precursor ions was used for quantitation except for isomers, which were quantified by the intensities of the characteristic product ions if available. Finally, the strategy was applied to study serum metabolomics in diabetes, and the results demonstrated that it is promising for a large-scale cohort metabolomic study.

Untargeted Lipidomics Reveals Specific Lipid Abnormalities in Nonfunctioning Human Pituitary Adenomas.

The pituitary gland is a small but important organ located in the base of the brain. Although mostly noncancerous, pituitary adenomas (PAs) can cause serious health problems such as headaches, visual field defects, double vision, and hypopituitarism by invasion of regional structures. Nonfunctioning PAs (NFPAs) approximately account for one-third of PAs manifested by no circulating hormone hypersecretion. Lipid reprogramming has been recognized as a hallmark of tumor cells and proven to play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. However, the lipid molecular pathogenesis of NFPAs has remained obscure to date. To uncover lipid alterations that may contribute to the development of NFPAs and define their molecular characteristics, we investigated tissue lipids of patients with NFPAs including eight null cell adenomas (NCAs) and eight oncocytomas (OCMs) and of five normal pituitary glands as the control (Ctrl) using nontargeted lipidomics based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap Q-Exactive HF mass spectrometry. The lipidomic results were further validated in another set of subjects consisting of 8 NCAs, 10 OCMs, and 6 Ctrls to define crucial lipids discriminating NFPAs from the normal pituitary tumors. Lipidomic analyses revealed that OCM showed more pronounced changes in lipid compositions than NCA and Ctrl. As expected, mitochondria abundant cardiolipins were remarkably increased in OCM, which was accordant with the biochemical evidence of mitochondria hyperplasia in OCM. Significantly increased levels of phospholipids (PLs), especially arachidonic acid (AA)-enriched PLs, were unique characteristics of lipid profiling in OCM vs Ctrl. Our results indicate that AA-PLs may have diagnostic potential for OCM.

Rapid lipidomic profiling based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and its application in diabetic retinopathy.

Lipidomics aims to characterize lipid alteration in response to internal or external subtle perturbations in complex biological samples. Lipid abnormality is a major risk factor for many diseases. Large-scale lipidomic studies may offer new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases, new opportunities in systems biology, functional biology, and personalized medicine. To this end, a highly efficient and stable lipidomic method is highly in demand. We herein present a rapid and relatively high coverage lipidomic profiling approach based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry by comparing the performance of different chromatographic columns, optimizing the elution gradient and selecting an appropriate data acquisition mode of mass spectra. As a result, a total of 481 lipids were detected from 40 µL serum sample within 13 min, covering 20 common lipid (sub)classes. The developed method was well validated with satisfactory analytical characteristics in linearity, repeatability, stability, and lipid coverage. To show the usefulness, the method was employed to investigate serum lipid profiling of 43 subjects with mild diabetic retinopathy and 44 normal controls, and successfully defined the differential lipids related to diabetic retinopathy. We believe that this rapid method will be beneficial for lipidomic analysis of large-scale clinical samples.

Integrated Metabolomics and Lipidomics Analyses Reveal Metabolic Reprogramming in Human Glioma with IDH1 Mutation.

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase ( IDH) 1 are high-frequency events in low-grade glioma and secondary glioblastoma, and IDH1 mutant gliomas are vulnerable to interventions. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. In this study, comprehensive metabolism investigation of clinical IDH1 mutant glioma specimens was performed to explore its specific metabolic reprogramming in real microenvironment. Massive metabolic alterations from glycolysis to lipid metabolism were identified in the IDH1 mutant glioma tissue when compared to IDH1 wild-type glioma. Of note, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates were in similar levels in both groups, with more pyruvate found entering the TCA cycle in IDH1 mutant glioma. The pool of fatty acyl chains was also reduced, displayed as decreased triglycerides and sphingolipids, although membrane phosphatidyl lipids were not changed. The lower fatty acyl pool may be mediated by the lower protein expression levels of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1), ACSL4, and very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 3 (ACSVL3) in IDH1 mutant glioma. Lower ACSL1 was further found to contribute to the better survival of IDH1 mutant glioma patients based on the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA sequencing data. Our research provides valuable insights into the tissue metabolism of human IDH1 mutant glioma and unravels new lipid-related targets.

Linking bioenergetic function of mitochondria to tissue-specific molecular fingerprints.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles with diverse functions in tissues such as liver and skeletal muscle. To unravel the mitochondrial contribution to tissue-specific physiology, we performed a systematic comparison of the mitochondrial proteome and lipidome of mice and assessed the consequences hereof for respiration. Liver and skeletal muscle mitochondrial protein composition was studied by data-independent ultra-high-performance (UHP)LC-MS/MS-proteomics, and lipid profiles were compared by UHPLC-MS/MS lipidomics. Mitochondrial function was investigated by high-resolution respirometry in samples from mice and humans. Enzymes of pyruvate oxidation as well as several subunits of complex I, III, and ATP synthase were more abundant in muscle mitochondria. Muscle mitochondria were enriched in cardiolipins associated with higher oxidative phosphorylation capacity and flexibility, in particular CL(18:2)4 and 22:6-containing cardiolipins. In contrast, protein equipment of liver mitochondria indicated a shuttling of complex I substrates toward gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis and a higher preference for electron transfer via the flavoprotein quinone oxidoreductase pathway. Concordantly, muscle and liver mitochondria showed distinct respiratory substrate preferences. Muscle respired significantly more on the complex I substrates pyruvate and glutamate, whereas in liver maximal respiration was supported by complex II substrate succinate. This was a consistent finding in mouse liver and skeletal muscle mitochondria and human samples. Muscle mitochondria are tailored to produce ATP with a high capacity for complex I-linked substrates. Liver mitochondria are more connected to biosynthetic pathways, preferring fatty acids and succinate for oxidation. The physiologic diversity of mitochondria may help to understand tissue-specific disease pathologies and to develop therapies targeting mitochondrial function.

Failure patterns after curative resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: possible implications for postoperative radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To explore the patterns of failures and areas at highest risk of recurrence for postoperative intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), with the aim to guide IHCC adjuvant radiotherapy. METHODS: Patients with IHCC who had undergone radical surgery at our institution from July 2010 to August 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The survival and prognostic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. All sites of recurrence were found out and classified as the surgical margin, regional lymph nodes, liver remnant and distant metastasis. According to the recurring area at highest risk, the target volume of adjuvant radiotherapy was proposed. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 23.5 months (2-85 months). The median recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 12.1 months and 24.8 months, respectively. Seventy-three (73/127, 57.5%) IHCC patients developed tumor recurrence. Initial recurrences occurred in the potential postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) volume, remnant liver and distant sits were 46 (46/73, 63.0%), 36 (36/73, 49.3%) and 22 (22/73, 30.1%) cases, respectively. Of the 46 patients whose initial recurrence inside the potential PORT volume, 29 (29/73, 39.7%) developed recurrence only inside the potential PORT volume, including 13 tumor bed recurrences, 7 lymph node metastases, and 9 with both tumor bed recurrences and lymph node metastases. The most common lymph node metastases sites were nodes around the abdominal aorta, followed by lymph nodes along the celiac artery, the common hepatic artery, and in the hepatoduodenal ligament. CONCLUSIONS: High proportion of the recurrences occurred only inside the potential PORT volume, implying adjuvant radiotherapy might improve the local-regional control. Surgical margins and lymph node stations No.16a2, 9, 8, 12, 13, and 14 are suggested to be included in the radiation volume.

Glioma SOX2 expression decreased after adjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND: SOX2 is regarded as an important marker in stem cell. The change of SOX2 expression after adjuvant therapy in high grade glioma (HGG) remains unknown so far. Few patients with recurrent glioma have opportunity to undergo operation once again, so the recurrent glioma samples are scarce. This study tries to analyze SOX2 expression in paired primary and recurrent HGG, aims to better understand the transformation law of SOX2 after adjuvant therapy in HGG. METHODS: Twenty-four recurrent HGG patients who undergone a second resection were included. 16 patients received adjuvant therapy, the remaining 8 patients didn't receive any adjuvant therapy at all. The protein expression of SOX2 in paired primary and recurrent HGG was tested by immunohistochemistry. The statistical analysis was conducted by IBM SPSS Statistics 19.0. RESULTS: In primary HGG, SOX2 expression of 3 + , 2 + , 1+ and 0+ were seen in 20 (83.3%), 1 (4.2%), 1 (4.2%) and 2 cases (8.3%), respectively. The expression of SOX2 was decreased in recurrent HGG compared to the paired primary sample (p = 0.001). The decrease of SOX2 was often seen in patients received chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both (p = 0.003). Patients with SOX2 high expression in primary glioma had a longer median PFS than those with SOX2 low expression with marginal statistic significance (12.7 vs. 5.4 months, p = 0.083). For cases with SOX2 high expression in the primary glioma, those had SOX2 low expression after recurrence seemed to have worse prognosis as compared to patients with stable SOX2 high expression (PFS: 10.4 vs. 14.9 months, p = 0.036; OS: 27.0 vs 49.5 months, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study comparing the protein expression of SOX2 in recurrent HGG and its paired primary tumor. SOX2 high expression is common in brain HGG, a tendency of decreased SOX2 expression in recurrent gliomas was evidenced. Lower SOX2 expression was seen in those patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Patients with low SOX2 expression in primary HGG usually have poorer prognosis, those with SOX2 expression decreased in recurrent HGG had worse outcome.

Enhancement of mitochondrial biogenesis and paradoxical inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase mediated by 14-3-3η in oncocytomas.

Oncocytomas represent a subset of benign pituitary adenomas that are characterized by significant mitochondrial hyperplasia. Mitochondria are key organelles for energy generation and metabolic intermediate production for biosynthesis in tumour cells, so understanding the mechanism underlying mitochondrial biogenesis and its impact on cellular metabolism in oncocytoma is vital. Here, we studied surgically resected pituitary oncocytomas by using multi-omic analyses. Whole-exome sequencing did not reveal any nuclear mutations, but identified several somatic mutations of mitochondrial DNA, and dysfunctional respiratory complex I. Metabolomic analysis suggested that oxidative phosphorylation was reduced within individual mitochondria, and that there was no reciprocal increase in glycolytic activity. Interestingly, we found a reduction in the cellular lactate level and reduced expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), which contributed to mitochondrial biogenesis in an in vitro cell model. It is of note that the hypoxia-response signalling pathway was not upregulated in pituitary oncocytomas, thereby failing to enhance glycolysis. Proteomic analysis showed that 14-3-3η was exclusively overexpressed in oncocytomas, and that 14-3-3η was capable of inhibiting glycolysis, leading to mitochondrial biogenesis in the presence of rotenone. In particular, 14-3-3η inhibited LDHA by direct interaction in the setting of complex I dysfunction, highlighting the role of 14-3-3η overexpression and inefficient oxidative phosphorylation in oncocytoma mitochondrial biogenesis. These findings deepen our understanding of the metabolic changes that occur within oncocytomas, and shine a light on the mechanism of mitochondrial biogenesis, providing a novel perspective on metabolic adaptation in tumour cells. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Therapeutic effect and autophagy regulation of myriocin in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Ceramide plays pathogenic roles in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) via multiple mechanisms, and as such inhibition of ceramide de novo synthesis in the liver may be of therapeutically beneficial in patients with NAFLD. In this study, we aimed to explore whether inhibition of ceramide signaling by myriocin is beneficial in animal model of NAFLD via regulating autophagy. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: standard chow (n = 10), high-fat diet (HFD) (n = 10) or HFD combined with oral administration of myriocin (0.3 mg/kg on alternate days for 8 weeks) (n = 10). Liver histology and autophagy function were measured. HepG2 cells were incubated with fatty acid with or without myriocin treatment. Lipid accumulation and autophagy markers in the HepG2 cells were analyzed. Serum ceramide changes were studied in 104 subjects consisting healthy adults, liver biopsy-proven patients with NAFLD and liver biopsy-proven patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). RESULTS: Myriocin reversed the elevated body weight and serum transaminases and alleviated dyslipidemia in HFD fed rats. Myriocin treatment significantly attenuated liver pathology including steatosis, lobular inflammation and ballooning. By qPCR analysis, it was revealed that myriocin corrected the expression pattern of fatty acid metabolism associated genes including Fabp1, Pparα, Cpt-1α and Acox-2. Further, myriocin also restored the impaired hepatic autophagy function in rats with HFD-induced NASH, and this has been verified in HepG2 cells. Among the sphingolipid species that we screened in lipidomic profiles, significantly increased ceramide was observed in NASH patients as compared to the controls and non-NASH patients, regardless of whether or not they have active CHB. CONCLUSIONS: Ceramide may play an important regulatory role in the autophagy function in the pathogenesis of NASH. Hence, blockade of ceramide signaling by myriocin may be of therapeutically beneficial in NASH. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration ID: ChiCTR-DDT-13003983 . Data of registration: 13 May, 2013, retrospectively registered.

Development of a High Coverage Pseudotargeted Lipidomics Method Based on Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Lipid coverage is crucial in comprehensive lipidomics studies challenged by high diversity in lipid structures and wide dynamic range in lipid levels. Current state-of-the-art lipidomics technologies are mostly based on mass spectrometry (MS), including direct-infusion MS, chromatography-MS, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) imaging MS, each with its pros and cons. Due to the need or favorability for measurement of isomers and isobars, chromatography-MS is preferable for lipid profiling. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS)-based nontargeted lipidomics approach and UHPLC-tandem MS (UHPLC-MS/MS)-based targeted approach are two representative methodological platforms for chromatography-MS. In the present study, we developed a high coverage pseudotargeted lipidomics method combining the advantages of nontargeted and targeted lipidomics approaches. The high coverage of lipids was achieved by integration of the detected lipids derived from nontargeted UHPLC-HRMS lipidomics analysis of multiple matrices (e.g., plasma, cell, and tissue) and the predicted lipids speculated on the basis of the structure and chromatographic retention behavior of the known lipids. A total of 3377 targeted lipid ion pairs with over 7000 lipid molecular structures were defined. The pseudotargeted lipidomics method was well validated with satisfactory analytical characteristics in terms of linearity, precision, reproducibility, and recovery for lipidomics profiling. Importantly, it showed better repeatability and higher coverage of lipids than the nontargeted lipidomics method. The applicability of the developed pseudotargeted lipidomics method was testified in defining differential lipids related to diabetes. We believe that comprehensive lipidomics studies will benefit from the developed high coverage pseudotargeted lipidomics approach.

Comprehensive Strategy to Construct In-House Database for Accurate and Batch Identification of Small Molecular Metabolites.

Identification of the metabolites is an essential step in metabolomics study to interpret the regulatory mechanism of pathological and physiological processes. However, it is still difficult in LC-MS n-based studies because of the complexity of mass spectrometry, chemical diversity of metabolites, and deficiency of standards database. In this work, a comprehensive strategy is developed for accurate and batch metabolite identification in nontargeted metabolomics studies. First, a well-defined procedure was applied to generate reliable and standard LC-MS2 data, including tR, MS1, and MS2 information at a standard operational procedure. An in-house database including about 2000 metabolites was constructed and used to identify the metabolites in nontargeted metabolic profiling by retention time calibration using internal standards, precursor ion alignment and ion fusion, auto-MS2 information extraction and selection, and database batch searching and scoring. As an application example, a pooled serum sample was analyzed to deliver the strategy, and 202 metabolites were identified in the positive ion mode. It shows our strategy is useful for LC-MS n-based nontargeted metabolomics study.

Evidence that growth hormone can improve mitochondrial function in oocytes from aged mice.

Decline in successful conception decreases more rapidly after 38 years of age owing to follicular depletion and decreased oocyte quality. However, limited information is available regarding the underlying mechanism and the useful treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of growth hormone supplementation on oocyte maturation in vivo in aged and young mice and to determine its effect on mitochondrial function. The influence of three different doses of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) (0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks before ovarian stimulation was analyzed. Superovulated oocytes were released from the oviduct of 12-week-old and 40-week-old female C57BL/6J mice 14-16 h after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin. Ovarian follicle and morphological analysis and oocyte maturation parameters were then evaluated. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to report that medium- and high-dose rhGH significantly increases antral follicles in aged mice but anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. Furthermore, derived oocytes, MII-stage oocyte rate, ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and frequencies of homogeneous mitochondrial distribution increased. In contrast, in both aged and young mice, the mtDNA copy numbers per oocyte were similar before rhGH administration, and upon saline administration, they did not differ significantly. We conclude that medium-dose rhGH supplementation before standard ovarian stimulation regimens improves oocyte quality in aged mice, probably by enhancing mitochondrial functionality.

Breast cancer primary tumor ER expression pattern predicts its expression concordance in matched synchronous lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND: Estrogen receptor (ER) expression is important for treatment selection and prognostication of breast cancer patients. Although the metastases are the main targets of endocrine therapy, ER status is often based on the primary tumor. However, ER expression in breast cancer primary lesion may not match with its synchronous metastatic lesions in some cases. In this study, we analyzed ER expression concordance between breast cancer primary tumor and metastatic lesions. METHODS: Paraffin blocks of 100 primary breast invasive ductal carcinoma cases with axillary lymph node metastases were collected. Five tissue cores were punched out from individual primary breast cancer, and one tissue core from each lymph node metastases to assemble tissue microarrays for ER staining. Samples were then scored as 0, 1+, 2+, and 3+ according to the number and intensity of ER stained tumor cells. RESULTS: For cases with ER 3+ (strong expression) in all cores of primary lesions (n = 38), ER expression in metastatic lymph node was found in 94.7% of the patients. 91.0% of the metastatic lymph nodes were ER positive, and 84.3% of them to be 3+. Among the 46 cases of ER negative expression in all cores of primary lesions, 39 of them had all the metastatic nodes being ER negative, and ER negative nodes were seen in 95.7% of the metastases. As for 16 cases of ER inconsistent expression in primary lesions, 4 cases showed negative ER expression in all metastatic nodes, 2 cases displayed diffuse consistent ER 3+ expression, and 10 cases displayed variant ER expression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that ER expression concordance between breast cancer primary lesion and its matched metastatic lesions could be estimated by primary tumor ER expression pattern.

Metabolic changes in primary, secondary, and lipid metabolism in tobacco leaf in response to topping.

As an important cultivation practice used for flue-cured tobacco, topping affects diverse biological processes in the later stages of development and growth. Some studies have focused on using tobacco genes to reflect the physiological changes caused by topping. However, the complex metabolic shifts in the leaf resulting from topping have not yet been investigated in detail. In this study, a comprehensive metabolic profile of primary, secondary, and lipid metabolism in flue-cured tobacco leaf was generated with use of a multiple platform consisting of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/ultraviolet spectroscopy. A total of 367 metabolites were identified and determined. Both principal component analysis and the number of significantly different metabolites indicated that topping had the greatest influence on the upper leaves. During the early stage of topping, great lipid level variations in the upper leaves were observed, and antioxidant defense metabolites were accumulated. This indicated that the topping activated lipid turnover and the antioxidant defense system. At the mature stage, lower levels of senescence-related metabolites and higher levels of secondary metabolites were found in the topped mature leaves. This implied that topping delayed leaf senescence and promoted secondary metabolite accumulation. This study provides a global view of the metabolic perturbation in response to topping. Graphical abstract Metabolic alterations in tobacco leaf in response to topping using a multiplatform metabolomics.

Plasma Lipidomics Investigation of Hemodialysis Effects by Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been a global health problem that has a great possibility of being developed into uremia in the end. Hemodialysis (HD) is the most commonly used strategy for treating uremic patients; however, the patients still have a high risk of suffering various complications. It is well recognized that lipid disorder usually occurs in maintenance HD patients. To systemically study the effects of HD on lipid metabolism associated with uremia, we employed an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)-based lipidomics method. A total of 87 human plasma samples from patients with prehemodialysis (pre-HD)/posthemodialysis (post-HD) treatment and the healthy controls were enrolled in the study. As compared with pre-HD patients, many plasma lipids showed significant changes (p < 0.05) in patients receiving HD therapy. Specifically, sum of free fatty acids (FFA) as well as saturated FFA and eicosanoids and sums of lyso-phosphatidylinositols and lyso-phosphatidylethanolamines, FFA 16:1/FFA 16:0, and FFA 18:1/FFA 18:0 were obviously higher in the pre-HD group than in the controls while they were significantly lower in patients after HD. These results indicated that UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based lipidomics is a promising approach to investigate lipid alterations in relation to uremia and it is helpful to understand complex complications involved in HD patients.

Metabolic Profiling with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry Reveals the Carbon-Nitrogen Status of Tobacco Leaves Across Different Planting Areas.

The interaction between carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism can reflect plant growth status and environmental factors. Little is known regarding the connections between C-N metabolism and growing regions under field conditions. To comprehensively investigate the relationship in mature tobacco leaves, we established metabolomics approaches based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and capillary electrophoresis-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (CE-TOF-MS). Approximately 240 polar metabolites were determined. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the growing region greatly influenced the metabolic profiles of tobacco leaves. A metabolic correlation network and related pathway maps were used to reveal the global overview of the alteration of C-N metabolism across three typical regions. In Yunnan, sugars and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates were closely correlated with amino acid pools. Henan tobacco leaves showed positive correlation between the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) intermediates and C-rich secondary metabolism. In Guizhou, the proline and asparagine had significant links with TCA cycle intermediates and urea cycle, and antioxidant accumulation was observed in response to drought. These results demonstrate that combined analytical approaches have great potential to detect polar metabolites and provide information on C-N metabolism related to planting regional characteristics.