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. 2019 Jan 8;18(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/s12944-018-0952-9.

Plasma lipidomic signatures of spontaneous obese rhesus monkeys

Junlong Wang  1   2   3 , Linqiang Zhang  1   2 , Ruyue Xiao  1   2 , Yunhai Li  1   2 , Shasha Liao  4 , Zhiguo Zhang  1   2 , Wenhui Yang  5 , Bin Liang  6   7
Affiliations

Plasma lipidomic signatures of spontaneous obese rhesus monkeys

Junlong Wang et al. Lipids Health Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Obesity plays crucial roles in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The underlying mechanisms linking obesity to metabolic diseases are still less understandable.

Methods: Previously, we screened a group of spontaneously obese rhesus monkeys. Here, we performed a plasma lipidomic analysis of normal and obese monkeys using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (UPLC/MS).

Results: In total, 143 lipid species were identified, quantified, and classified into free fatty acids (FFA), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and sphingomyelin (SM). Data analysis showed that the obese monkeys had increased levels of fatty acids palmitoleic acid (C16:1) and arachidonic acid (C20:4), FFA especially palmitic acid (C16:0), as well as certain PC species and SM species. Surprisingly, the plasma level of LPA-C16:0 was approximately four-fold greater in the obese monkeys. Conversely, the levels of most PE species were obviously reduced in the obese monkeys.

Conclusion: Collectively, our work suggests that lipids such as FFA C16:0 and 16:0-LPA may be potential candidates for the diagnosis and study of obesity-related diseases.

Keywords: Obesity; Palmitic acid (C16:0); Plasma lipidome; Rhesus monkeys.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All animal procedures were in strict accordance with the guidelines for the National Care and Use of Animals approved by the National Animal Research Authority (P.R. China) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the Kunming Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The nonhuman primate cares and experimental protocols were approved by the Ethics Committee of Kunming Institute of Zoology and the Kunming Primate Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (AAALAC accredited), and the methods were carried out in accordance with the approved guidelines.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Levels of plasma fatty acid compositions and free fatty acids in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Levels of fatty acid composition (a), total free fatty acids (b), and free fatty acids (FFAs) (c). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant difference between CK and OB monkeys: *P<0.05, **P<0.01
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Levels of plasma phospholipids and sphingolipids in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Levels of total phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and sphingomyelin (SM). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Levels of plasma phosphatidylcholines (PC) species in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). a Levels of PC species with an average concentration > 50 nmol/mL. b Levels of PC species with an average concentration < 50 nmol/mL. c Levels of PC species containing fatty acid C20:4. d Levels of PC species containing fatty acid C16:1. Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant difference between CK and OB monkeys: *P<0.05
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Levels of plasma phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) species in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Levels of high abundant PE species (a) and low abundant PE species (b). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant difference between CK and OB monkeys: *P<0.05
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Levels of plasma sphingomyelins (SM) species in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant difference between CK and OB monkeys: *P<0.05, **P<0.01
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Levels of plasma lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) and lysophosphatidic acids (LPA) species in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Levels of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) (a) and lysophosphatidic acids (LPA) species (b). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant difference between CK and OB monkeys: **P<0.01
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Levels of plasma phosphatidylinositols (PI) and phosphatidylserines (PS) species in obese monkeys (OB, n = 3) and normal monkeys (CK, n = 3). Data are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM)
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