A Pilot Study on Qualitative Metabolomics to Characterize Lewis Lung Carcinoma in Mice

Abstract

Metabolomics is a powerful tool that can be used to identify different stages in cancer development. In this study, the metabolomic profile of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) was characterized in C57BL/6 mice bearing LLC tumors. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (nuclear magnetic resonance-NMR) was applied using a 400 MHz ¹H NMR spectrometer. Two types of metabolites (polar and non-polar) were identified on LLC based on the analysis of methanol/water and chloroform extracts collected from lung cancer samples in mice. The investigated metabolomics show that the neoplastic processes of growing LLC on mice may affect carbohydrate; alanine and glutamate; leucine and isoleucine; lysine; creatine; and choline metabolism, whereas hypoxia states were identified due to elevated lactate in lung cancer tissues. The metabolomic profile of Lewis lung carcinoma could be considered to be a valuable biomarker in translational lung cancer research.

Keywords: Lewis lung carcinoma; metabolomic profiling; mice; nuclear magnetic resonance.

Figure 1

A schematic diagram illustrating the experimental workflow.

Figure 2

Representative ¹H NMR spectra of chloroform extracts of LLC tumors in mice. ¹H NMR was applied using 400 MHz NMR system.

Figure 3

Representative ¹H NMR spectra of water/methanol extract of LLC tumors in mice. Aliphatic region of ¹H NMR spectra of water/methanol extract with assigned signals (Lac—lactate; Ala—alanine; Cho—choline; Cr—creatine; Glu—glutamine; glutamate; sIn—scyllo-inositol; Leu—leucine; Ile—isoleucine; Lys—lysine; Ac—acetate). ¹H NMR was applied using 400 MHz NMR system.

Figure 4

High-field region of ¹H NMR spectrum of water/methanol extract with assigned signals. (Tyr—tyrosine; His—histidine; Phe—phenylalanine; Ade—adenine; For—formate; Ino—inosine). ¹H NMR was applied using 400 MHz NMR system.