NMR-based metabolomic profile of hypercholesterolemic human sera: Relationship with in vitro gene expression?

PLoS One. 2020 Apr 16;15(4):e0231506. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231506. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Hypercholesterolaemia is considered an important cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In a previous investigation, we demonstrated that cultured hepatoma cells treated with hypercholesterolaemic sera compared with cells treated with normocholesterolaemic sera show overexpression of mRNAs related to mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase (HMGCS2). In the present work, using an NMR metabolomic analysis, we demonstrate that the hypercholesterolaemic blood sera previously used to treat cultured hepatoma cells are characterized by a metabolomic profile that is significantly different from the normocholesterolaemic sera. Acetate, acetone, 2-hydroxybutyrate, cysteine, valine, and glutamine are the metabolites distinguishing the two groups. Abnormalities in the concentrations of these metabolites reflect alterations in energy-related pathways, such as pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, pyruvate, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, the citrate cycle, and ketone bodies. Regarding ketone bodies, the pathway is regulated by HMGCS2; therefore, serum samples previously found to be able to increase HMGCS2 mRNA levels in cultured cells also contain higher amounts of the metabolites of its encoded enzyme protein product.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression / physiology
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase / metabolism
  • Hypercholesterolemia / blood*
  • Hypercholesterolemia / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways
  • Metabolomics*
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • HMGCS2 protein, human
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase

Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.