Lipidomic changes in the rat hippocampus following cocaine conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement of drug-seeking.

Introduction: Cocaine dependence affects millions of individuals worldwide; however, there are no pharmacotherapeutic and/or diagnostic solutions. Recent evidence suggests a role for lipid signaling in the development and maintenance of addiction, highlighting the need to understand how lipid remodeling mediates neuroadaptation after cocaine exposure.

Methods: This study utilized shotgun lipidomics to assess cocaine-induced lipid remodeling in rats using a novel behavioral regimen that incorporated multiple sessions of extinction training and reinstatement testing.

Localization and expression of CTP: Phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase in rat brain following cocaine exposure.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a primary phospholipid and major source of secondary lipid messengers and also serves as a biosynthetic precursor for other membrane phospholipids. Phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) is the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of PC. Changes in CCT activity have been associated with lipid dysregulation across various neurological disorders.

Effects of high-fat diet and age on the blood lipidome and circulating endocannabinoids of female C57BL/6 mice.

Alterations in lipid metabolism play a significant role in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated disorders, and dysregulation of the lipidome across multiple diseases has prompted research to identify novel lipids indicative of disease progression. To address the significant gap in knowledge regarding the effect of age and diet on the blood lipidome, we used shotgun lipidomics with electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). We analyzed blood lipid profiles of female C57BL/6 mice following high-fat diet (HFD) and low-fat diet (LFD) consumption for short (6weeks), long (22weeks), and prolonged (36weeks) periods.

Extraction, chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods for lipid analysis.

Lipids make up a diverse subset of biomolecules that are responsible for mediating a variety of structural and functional properties as well as modulating cellular functions such as trafficking, regulation of membrane proteins and subcellular compartmentalization. In particular, phospholipids are the main constituents of biological membranes and play major roles in cellular processes like transmembrane signaling and structural dynamics. The chemical and structural variety of lipids makes analysis using a single experimental approach quite challenging.

Differential effects of cocaine exposure on the abundance of phospholipid species in rat brain and blood.

Background: Lipid profiles in the blood are altered in human cocaine users, suggesting that cocaine exposure can induce lipid remodeling.

Methods: Lipid changes in the brain tissues of rats sensitized to cocaine were determined through shotgun lipidomics using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). We also performed pairwise principal component analysis (PCA) to assess cocaine-induced changes in blood lipid profiles.