Reverse modulation of the HDL Anionic Peptide Factor and phospholipid transfer protein activity in coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Lipid profiles and differential lipids in serum related to severity of community-acquired pneumonia: A pilot study

This study aimed to characterize the lipidomic responses to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and provide new insight into the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis and potential avenues for diagnostic and therapeutic treatments. This study was performed from January 2017 to October 2018. Lipidomic profiles were generated using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) platform. Spearman's rank correlation test and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to explore the correlation between changes in the relative abundance of lipids and clinical parameters. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to build 30-day survival curves. From the UHPLC-MS/MS results, a total of 509 and 195 lipid species were detected in the positive and negative ionization mode respectively. Positive ionization covered six lipid classes (glycerol-phospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, sterol-lipids, prenol-lipids, and fatty acid), whilst negative ionization covered three (glycerol-phospholipids, sphingolipids, fatty acid). Four lipids were selected as targets: PC (16:0_18:1), PC (18:2_20:4), PC (36:4), and PC (38:6). The relative increase of the areas under the curves for all four lipids were superior to the pneumonia severity index and CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age ≥65 years old) for discriminating severe CAP from CAP. Decreasing relative levels of PC (18:2_20:4), PC (38:6), and PC (36:4) were negatively related to fraction of inspiration O2; Changes in the relative abundance of PC (16:0_18:1) and PC (18:2_20:4) had significantly linear relationship with procalcitonin. Patients with an elevated level of PC (16:0_18:1) had significantly longer duration of hospital stays. As the relative abundance of PC (18:2_20:4), PC (36:4), and PC (38:6) decreased, the length of hospitalization days and 30-day mortality rate increased significantly (all log-rank p<0.05). Therefore, using the UHPLC-MS/MS platform's serum lipidomic approach can help reveal changes in lipid abundance during CAP and establish lipid profiles related to disease severity.

Association between Small Dense Low-Density Lipoproteins and High-Density Phospolipid Content in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease with or without Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the phospholipid profile in total plasma, non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and HDL fractions. We tried to correlate the phospholipid profile to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) size, as reflected by cholesterol content in each LDL subclass.

METHODS

We measured small dense LDL-C levels after heparin-magnesium precipitation and measured high-density lipoprotein phospholipid (HDL-P) levels using a colorimetric enzymatic method.

RESULTS

The correlation of the phospholipid profile to small dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C) in patients with coronary problems showed a negative association between small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) and HDL-P (r = -0.73; P = .02). Moreover, a strong positive correlation was detected between TG and the ratio HDL-P/HDL-C (r = 0.83; P <.001).

CONCLUSIONS

HDL phospholipid has an antiatherogenic effect in coronary artery disease with or without diabetes. Further, large LDL modulation seems to be associated with diabetes rather than coronaropathy.

A metabolomics research based on UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS coupled with metabolic pathway analysis: Treatment effects of stir-frying Xanthii Fructus on allergic rhinitis in mice model

Xanthii Fructus (XF), a well-known herb in traditional Chinese medicine, has been frequently used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in the clinic. Its therapeutic metabolic mechanism, however, remains undetermined. In this work, a metabolomics research coupled with metabolic pathway analysis has been employed to screen out the potential mechanism in its effects on allergic rhinitis. Specifically, mouse serum samples containing XF were analyzed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography equipped with electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) in both positive and negative polarity. In addition, the raw data gained from UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) in order to discover remarkable metabolites. Twenty-seven potential biomarkers in mouse serum were filtered from free databases like HMDB. Interestingly, this study filtered the potential metabolic pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism and branch-chain amino acid metabolism. We hope that this paper will provide a feasible strategy for revealing the therapeutic mechanism of XF in allergic rhinitis mice model.

Rapid identification of erythrocyte phospholipids in Sprague-Dawley rats by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, sensitive, and reliable approach for analyzing five kinds of erythrocyte phospholipids in Sprague-Dawley rats was provided by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry with MassLynx(TM) MassFragment. Improving conventional high performance liquid chromatography techniques, ultra high performance liquid chromatography integrated with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry offers high sensitivity and increased analytical speed by using columns packed with sub-2 μm particles (1.7 μm), which allows a faster separation to be achieved. Through this method, 83 phospholipids were tentatively characterized based on their mass spectra and tandem mass spectra, as well as by matching the in-house formula database within a mass error of 5 ppm, including 40 phosphatidylcholines, 24 phosphatidyl ethanolamines, three phosphatidylinositols, six phosphatidylserines, and ten sphingomyelins. Our present results proved that the established method could be used to qualitatively analyze complex erythrocyte phospholipids in Sprague-Dawley rats and provide a useful data base for pharmacology and phospholipidomics to seek potential biomarkers of disease prediction.

HDL-associated enzymes and proteins in hemodialysis patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate HDL-associated proteins and enzymes and their relation with lipoprotein profile and inflammatory markers in chronic renal patients on hemodialysis.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 53 patients under hemodialysis and 32 healthy subjects as controls. We compared plasma lipids, Apoprotein-AI and hs-CRP, as a marker of chronic inflammation. We evaluated proteins and enzymes associated to HDL, involved in several points of lipoprotein metabolism: CETP, paraoxonase and LpPLA2 activities. Hepatic lipase was measured in postheparin plasma.

RESULTS

Patients showed higher triglycerides and lower LDL-, HDL- and total-cholesterol than controls (p<0.05). Also, in comparison with controls, Apoprotein-AI, paraoxonase and hepatic lipase were lower, while CETP was higher (p<0.03). LpPLA2 did not show changes between groups.

CONCLUSION

Beyond plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile, other factors could contribute to induce a pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory status. The protective role of HDL does not only depend on its concentration, but also on its functionality.

Cox proportional hazard model analysis of survival in end-stage renal disease patients with small-sized high-density lipoprotein particles

OBJECTIVE

Dyslipidemia is commonly seen in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This prospective study investigates whether small-sized high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles alone or in combination with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are independent determinants of ESRD mortality.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed 36 months follow-up study in 122 haemodialysis (HD) patients. HDL size and subclass distribution were determined by gradient gel electrophoresis. Baseline characteristics of the patients were evaluated for the prediction of mortality.

RESULTS

Cox regressions analysis showed that patients with small-sized HDL particles had 2.8-fold higher risk of lethal outcome (P<0.05). Concomitant presence of small-sized HDL particles and increased hsCRP concentration were significantly associated with reduced survival rate (HR=3.907; P<0.05). Observed relationships persisted after adjustment for serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that small-sized HDL particles alone and combined with elevated hsCRP concentrations are independent predictors of reduced survival in HD patients.

High density lipoprotein-anionic peptide factor effect on reverse cholesterol transport in type 2 diabetic patients with and without coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVES

To verify if HDL3 Anionic Peptide Factor (HDL3-APF) is as an apolipoprotein that promotes the reverse cholesterol transport.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We investigated a possible association between plasma HDL3-APF concentration, cholesterol efflux from Fu5AH cells and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (n=36), those without CAD (n=20), and 37 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

Plasma APF concentrations were decreased in diabetics with CAD compared to controls (p<0.01). Cellular cholesterol efflux was decreased in diabetics without and with CAD, (p<0.01 and p<0.001 respectively). CETP activity was significantly elevated in all patient groups. Multiple linear regression analysis shows that cholesterol efflux was independently and positively related only to APF concentrations in controls.

CONCLUSIONS

APF is likely to be a key independent factor for promoting cellular cholesterol efflux in healthy subjects. However this association is altered in type 2 diabetes.