Browsing by Author "Tigistu-Sahle, Feven"

In addition to being structural components of biological membranes and energy storage of cells, lipids have recently been found to participate as essential players in cell signaling, subcellular transport mechanisms, adjusting functions of integral proteins, and regulation of cell growth and apoptosis. In this study electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) techniques were used to analyze the phospholipid composition of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC). Numerous chemically distinct lipid species were quantified and the changes in their relative amounts i.e. in the cell’s lipid profile after sequential passaging were followed until senescence (usually from passage 4 up to passage 10, in some cases until p14). Subsequently, the total lipids extracted from the cell pellets were analyzed by triple quadrupole ESI-MS equipment and using lipid-class specific scanning modes. The BMSC lines studied originated from ten donors, five of which were young and five elderly individuals. In culture, the BMSC from both young and aged donors showed time-dependent changes in their phospholipid profiles. The clearest marker findings among individual lipid species were that in phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), the species 38:4 (acyl chain pair 18:0/20:4n-6) largely increased towards the late passages, which was seen in the BMSC derived from both the young or aged donors. Thus the reserves of 20:4n-6, the precursor of the eicosanoids having antiproliferative, apoptotic and inflammatory cellular reactions, were increased towards late passages. At phospholipid class level, lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) totals, and the ratio of total PI to total phosphatidylserine (PI:PS) were increased from early to latest passages. The results provide new lipid biomarkers to be used for stem cell quality control. The accumulation of polyunsaturated lipid species containing 20:4n-6 or the increase of PI: PS ratio could be potential markers for cell aging and the cells’ poor viability and functionality. The results can be used to develop efficient stem cell therapies and improve patient safety.