Plasma Lipid Profiles Change with Increasing Numbers of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries in Rats
Chidozie C. Anyaegbu,
Harrison Szemray,
Sarah C. Hellewell,
Nathan G. Lawler,
Kerry Leggett,
Carole Bartlett,
Brittney Lins,
Terence McGonigle,
Melissa Papini,
Ryan S. Anderton,
Luke Whiley,
Melinda Fitzgerald
Affiliations
Chidozie C. Anyaegbu
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Harrison Szemray
Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
Sarah C. Hellewell
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Nathan G. Lawler
Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
Kerry Leggett
Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute Building, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Carole Bartlett
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Brittney Lins
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Terence McGonigle
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Melissa Papini
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Ryan S. Anderton
Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute Building, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Luke Whiley
Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute Building, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Melinda Fitzgerald
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) causes structural, cellular and biochemical alterations which are difficult to detect in the brain and may persist chronically following single or repeated injury. Lipids are abundant in the brain and readily cross the blood-brain barrier, suggesting that lipidomic analysis of blood samples may provide valuable insight into the neuropathological state. This study used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to examine plasma lipid concentrations at 11 days following sham (no injury), one (1×) or two (2×) mTBI in rats. Eighteen lipid species were identified that distinguished between sham, 1× and 2× mTBI. Three distinct patterns were found: (1) lipids that were altered significantly in concentration after either 1× or 2× F mTBI: cholesterol ester CE (14:0) (increased), phosphoserine PS (14:0/18:2) and hexosylceramide HCER (d18:0/26:0) (decreased), phosphoinositol PI(16:0/18:2) (increased with 1×, decreased with 2× mTBI); (2) lipids that were altered in response to 1× mTBI only: free fatty acid FFA (18:3 and 20:3) (increased); (3) lipids that were altered in response to 2× mTBI only: HCER (22:0), phosphoethanolamine PE (P-18:1/20:4 and P-18:0/20:1) (increased), lysophosphatidylethanolamine LPE (20:1), phosphocholine PC (20:0/22:4), PI (18:1/18:2 and 20:0/18:2) (decreased). These findings suggest that increasing numbers of mTBI induce a range of changes dependent upon the lipid species, which likely reflect a balance of damage and reparative responses.
