Metabolite identification represents a major challenge, and opportunity, for biochemistry. The collective characterization and quantification of metabolites in living organisms, with its many... Show moreMetabolite identification represents a major challenge, and opportunity, for biochemistry. The collective characterization and quantification of metabolites in living organisms, with its many successes, represents a major biochemical knowledgebase and the foundation of metabolism's rebirth in the 21st century; yet, characterizing newly observed metabolites has been an enduring obstacle. Crystallography and NMR spectroscopy have been of extraordinary importance, although their applicability in resolving metabolism's fine structure has been restricted by their intrinsic requirement of sufficient and sufficiently pure materials. Mass spectrometry has been a key technology, especially when coupled with high-performance separation technologies and emerging informatic and database solutions. Even more so, the collective of artificial intelligence technologies are rapidly evolving to help solve the metabolite characterization conundrum. This perspective describes this challenge, how it was historically addressed, and how metabolomics is evolving to address it today and in the future. Show less
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can reveal biochemical information directly from a tissue section. MSI generates a large quantity of complex spectral data which is still challenging to translate... Show moreMass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can reveal biochemical information directly from a tissue section. MSI generates a large quantity of complex spectral data which is still challenging to translate into relevant biochemical information. Here, we present rMSIproc, an open-source R package that implements a full data processing workflow for MSI experiments performed using TOF or FT-based mass spectrometers. The package provides a novel strategy for spectral alignment and recalibration, which allows to process multiple datasets simultaneously. This enables to perform a confident statistical analysis with multiple datasets from one or several experiments. rMSIproc is designed to work with files larger than the computer memory capacity and the algorithms are implemented using a multi-threading strategy. rMSIproc is a powerful tool able to take full advantage of modern computer systems to completely develop the whole MSI potential. Show less
Rodriguez-Calvo, R.; Girona, J.; Rodriguez, M.; Samino, S.; Barroso, E.; Gonzalo-Calvo, D. de; ... ; Masana, L. 2019
Objective: Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is an intracellular lipid chaperone involved in the crosstalk between adipose and peripheral tissues, and it contributes to widespread insulin... Show moreObjective: Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is an intracellular lipid chaperone involved in the crosstalk between adipose and peripheral tissues, and it contributes to widespread insulin resistance in cells, including cardiac cells. However, the role of this adipokine in regulating cardiac metabolism and myocardial neutral lipid content in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been elucidated.Methods: The impact of circulating FABP4 on the cardiac neutral lipid content was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1-MRS) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, circulating FABP4 and the cardiac triglyceride content were analysed in high-fat diet (FIFD)-fed mice, and the impact of the exogenous FABP4 was explored in HL-1 cardiac cells.Results: Serum FABP4 levels were higher in type 2 diabetic patients compared to healthy individuals. Circulating FABP4 levels were associated with myocardial neutral lipid content in type 2 diabetic patients. In FIFD-fed mice, both serum FABP4 and myocardial triglyceride content were increased. In FABP4-challenged HL-1 cells. extracellular FABP4 increased intracellular lipid accumulation, which led to impairment of the insulin-signalling pathway and reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. However, these effects were partially reversed by FABP4 inhibition with BM5309403. which attenuated the intracellular lipid content and improved insulin signalling and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake.Conclusions: Taken together, our results identify FABP4 as a molecule involved in diabeticllipid-induced cardiomyopathy and indicate that this molecule may be an emerging biomarker for diabetic cardiomyopathy-related disturbances, such as myocardial neutral lipid accumulation. Additionally, FABP4 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic target for metabolic-related cardiac dysfunctions. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Show less
