Frontiers in Immunology (Oct 2024)

Lipidome analyses reveal radiation induced remodeling of glycerophospholipid unsaturation in lung tumor

  • Jingquan He,
  • Qingqing Yuan,
  • Song Gao,
  • Yue Wang,
  • Haigen Lai,
  • Kaiting Wang,
  • Xiaoman Zhou,
  • Zicheng Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1470269
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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Radiotherapy is a pivotal treatment for lung cancer, significantly impacting tumor control and patient quality of life. Despite its benefits, the molecular mechanisms underlying radiotherapy-induced biological alterations in lung cancer cells remain inadequately understood. In this study, we employed a mass spectrometry-based lipidomics approach to investigate lipid profile changes in a lung cancer mouse model post-radiation. Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells were injected into C57BL/6J mice, followed by radiation treatment with varying split doses. Our results showed an increase in sterol lipids and a decrease in glycerolipids, specifically triacylglycerides, indicating disrupted lipid storage. Additionally, we observed significant changes in glycerophospholipid unsaturation, suggesting a remodeling of membrane properties that may influence cell survival. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant negative correlation between glycerophospholipid unsaturation index and tumor weight, indicating a potential role in radiation-induced tumor cell death. These findings provide new insights into the lipid metabolic pathways affected by radiotherapy and could inform the development of improved therapeutic strategies for lung cancer treatment.

Keywords