How the liver transcriptome and lipid composition influence the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to hepatocellular carcinoma in a murine model.

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been steadily increasing in Western society in recent years and has been recognized as a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression from NAFLD to HCC are still unclear, despite the use of suitable mouse models. To identify the transcriptional and lipid profiles of livers from mice with NAFLD-HCC, we induced both NAFLD and NAFLD-HCC pathologies in C57BL/6J mice and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and targeted lipidomic analysis.

Phospholipid-derived lysophospholipids in (patho)physiology.

Phospholipids (PL) are major components of cellular membranes and changes in PL metabolism have been associated with the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in particular, is a comparably abundant component of oxidatively damaged tissues. LPC originates from the cleavage of phosphatidylcholine (PC) by phospholipase A or the reaction of lipids with reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as HOCl.

From Oxidized Fatty Acids to Dimeric Species: In Vivo Relevance, Generation and Methods of Analysis.

The occurrence of free fatty acids (FFAs) and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals (HO) or hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is characteristic of inflammatory diseases, for instance, rheumatoid arthritis. Unsaturated fatty acids react with ROS yielding a variety of important products such as peroxides and chlorohydrins as primary and chain-shortened compounds (e.g.

A Five-Year Update on Matrix Compounds for MALDI-MS Analysis of Lipids.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) is a widely used soft-ionization technique of modern mass spectrometry (MS). MALDI enables the analysis of nearly all chemical compounds-including polar and apolar (phospho)lipids-with a minimum extent of fragmentation. MALDI has some particular advantages (such as the possibility to acquire spatially-resolved spectra) and is competitive with the simultaneously developed ESI (electrospray ionization) MS.

Analytical Toolbox to Unlock the Diversity of Oxidized Lipids.

Lipids are diverse class of small biomolecules represented by a large variety of chemical structures. In addition to the classical biosynthetic routes, lipids can undergo numerous modifications via introduction of small chemical moieties forming hydroxyl, phospho, and nitro derivatives, among others. Such modifications change the physicochemical properties of a parent lipid and usually result in new functionalities either by mediating signaling events or by changing the biophysical properties of lipid membranes.

Mass spectrometric investigations of the action of hypochlorous acid on monomeric and oligomeric components of glycosaminoglycans.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a strong non-radical oxidant, which is generated during inflammatory processes under the catalysis of the enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). HOCl reacts particularly with sulfhydryl and amino acid residues but affects also many other biomolecules. For instance, the glycosaminoglycans of articular cartilage and synovial fluids (such as hyaluronan) undergo degradation in the presence of HOCl at which the native polysaccharide is fragmented into oligosaccharides in a complex reaction.

Combined Use of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry and P NMR Spectroscopy for the Analysis of (Phospho)Lipids.

Lipids are important and abundant constituents of all biological tissues and body fluids. In particular, phospholipids (PLs) constitute a major part of the cellular membrane and play a role in signal transduction, and some selected PLs are increasingly considered as potential disease markers. Unfortunately, methods of lipid analysis are less established in comparison to techniques of protein analysis.

A new update of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in lipid research.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) is an indispensable tool in modern lipid research since it is fast, sensitive, tolerates sample impurities and provides spectra without major analyte fragmentation. We will discuss some methodological aspects, the related ion-forming processes and the MALDI MS characteristics of the different lipid classes (with the focus on glycerophospholipids) and the progress, which was achieved during the last ten years. Particular attention will be given to quantitative aspects of MALDI MS since this is widely considered as the most serious drawback of the method.

De novo synthesis of phospholipids and sphingomyelin in multipotent stromal cells - Monitoring studies by mass spectrometry.

Musculoskeletal diseases are extremely widespread and a significant burden on the health systems of the industrialized countries. The use of mesenchymal stromal cells is a promising approach to cure cartilage and tendon injuries, which often also occur in younger people as consequences of sport accidents. Although particular interest is on the collagen and the glycosaminoglycan composition of the tendon and potential alterations compared to healthy tissue, there is nowadays also increasing evidence that some selected phospholipids (PL) are potential mediators of tissue regeneration.