A Review of Lipidomics of Cardiovascular Disease Highlights the Importance of Isolating Lipoproteins

Abstract

Cutting-edge lipidomic profiling measures hundreds or even thousands of lipids in plasma and is increasingly used to investigate mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this review, we introduce lipidomic techniques, describe distributions of lipids across lipoproteins, and summarize findings on the association of lipids with CVD based on lipidomics. The main findings of 16 cohort studies were that, independent of total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), ceramides (d18:1/16:0, d18:1/18:0, and d18:1/24:1) and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) containing saturated and monounsaturated fatty acyl chains are positively associated with risks of CVD outcomes, while PCs containing polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains (PUFA) are inversely associated with risks of CVD outcomes. Lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) may be positively associated with risks of CVD outcomes. Interestingly, the distributions of the identified lipids vary across lipoproteins: LPCs are primarily contained in HDLs, ceramides are mainly contained in low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and PCs are distributed in both HDLs and LDLs. Thus, the potential mechanism behind previous findings may be related to the effect of the identified lipids on the biological functions of HDLs and LDLs. Only eight studies on the lipidomics of HDL and non-HDL particles and CVD outcomes have been conducted, which showed that higher triglycerides (TAGs), lower PUFA, lower phospholipids, and lower sphingomyelin content in HDLs might be associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the generalizability of these studies is a major concern, given that they used case-control or cross-sectional designs in hospital settings, included a very small number of participants, and did not correct for multiple testing or adjust for blood lipids such as HDL-c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), or TAGs. Overall, findings from the literature highlight the importance of research on lipidomics of lipoproteins to enhance our understanding of the mechanism of the association between the identified lipids and the risk of CVD and allow the identification of novel lipid biomarkers in HDLs and LDLs, independent of HDL-c and LDL-c. Lipidomic techniques show the feasibility of this exciting research direction, and the lack of high-quality epidemiological studies warrants well-designed prospective cohort studies.

Metabolic profile distinguishes laminitis-susceptible and -resistant ponies before and after feeding a high sugar diet

“…In humans, PCs with a higher degree of unsaturation (higher number of double bounds) appear to protect from diabetes progression, whereas an increased risk is associated with higher contents of saturated fatty acid chains [ 19 , 20 ]. Similar conclusions were reached by Ding and Rexrode [ 21 ] regarding the risk for cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, such polyunsaturated PCs (PC ae C38:5, PC aa C40:6; Fig.…”

Evaluation of Two Highly Effective Lipid-Lowering Therapies in Subjects With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Lipidomic Analysis

“…Considering the correlation between lipids, FFA, and clinical parameters, a previous study reported that LPC are predominantly found in HDL, CER in LDL, and PC are present in both lipoproteins (HDL and LDL) 15 . Thus, FFA composition may also be important for the lipoprotein function and metabolism.…”

“…Thus, FFA composition may also be important for the lipoprotein function and metabolism. Studies examining CVD with lipidomics found that after adjusting for HDL-C and LDL-C levels, only PC remained associated with cardiovascular events 15,30,31,32,33,34,35 . Kolovou et al observed a correlation of SM, PC, PE, phosphatidylinositol, CEs and Tg in subjects with obesity, and a positive correlation between SM and LDL-C, and between LPC and VLDL-C, among subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia.…”

Microencapsulated Pomegranate Modifies the Composition and Function of High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) in New Zealand Rabbits

“…However, the presence of SM in reconstituted HDL is necessary to regulate ICAM-1 and to induce eNOS phosphorylation [ 11 ]. Therefore, the impact of SM seems to be related to the carrying lipoprotein [ 25 ]. In this study, the decrease of non-HDL-SM with no changes of HDL-SM may reflect an additional potential benefit of pomegranate as nutraceutical product.…”