Plasma phospholipid metabolic profiling and biomarkers of rats following radiation exposure based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry technique

Lipidomics, a prominent area of metabolomics, utilizes novel analytical methodologies to study the extensive classes of lipid molecules, changes in lipid metabolism and lipid-mediated signaling processes. In this paper, the phospholipid metabolic profiles changes and potential biomarker identification in the rats plasma after gamma-irradiation exposure were investigated by coupling high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology to multivariate statistical analysis. Orthogonal partial least-squares to latent structures discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to find the potential plasma phospholipids biomarkers of rats for radiation exposure. According to the corresponding tandem mass spectrometric results, potential biomarkers were identified. After exposure to gamma-rays, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine showed a marked increase, and phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine followed the same trend, although their rise was not significant. The results suggested that radiated rats had a phospholipid metabolic abnormality, which could be an alternative way to assess the radiaton exposure. The biomarkers may involve a radiation-induced apoptosis pathway and represent a promising target for discovery new radioprotective drugs and radiosensitizers.