In these studies, the role of ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) in the wound-healing process was investigated. Specifically, fibroblasts isolated from mice with the known anabolic enzyme for C1P, ceramide kinase (CERK), ablated (CERK−/− mice) and their wild-type littermates (CERK+/+) were subjected to in vitro wound-healing assays. Simulation of mechanical trauma of a wound by scratching a monolayer of fibroblasts from CERK+/+ mice demonstrated steadily increasing levels of arachidonic acid in a time-dependent manner in stark contrast to CERK−/− fibroblasts. This observed difference was reflected in scratch-induced eicosanoid levels. Similar, but somewhat less intense, changes were observed in a more complex system utilizing skin biopsies obtained from CERK-null mice. Importantly, C1P levels increased during the early stages of human wound healing correlating with the transition from the inflammatory stage to the peak of the fibroplasia stage (e.g., proliferation and migration of fibroblasts). Finally, the loss of proper eicosanoid response translated into an abnormal migration pattern for the fibroblasts isolated from CERK−/−. As the proper migration of fibroblasts is one of the necessary steps of wound healing, these studies demonstrate a novel requirement for the CERK-derived C1P in the proper healing response of wounds.
Background: Pro-TNFα is transformed into the active/soluble form through proteolysis by TNFα-converting enzyme (TACE).Results: Genetic ablation of ceramide kinase induces an increase in TACE activity and secreted TNFα.Conclusion: Ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) negatively regulates the activity of TACE.Significance: The TACE/C1P interaction is a viable drug target for the treatment of heart disease and sepsis.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a popular choice for the treatment of chronic wounds. Current dogma attributes these healing properties to the peptide growth factors of PRP. However, PRP is also rich in bioactive lipids whose contribution to healing has not been characterized and warrants investigation due to the protease-rich environment of chronic wounds. The lipid fraction of PRP was tested with respect to proliferation and migration of primary adult human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa)±exposure to chronic wound fluid (CWF). This fraction was also characterized via LC-MS/MS for bioactive lipids. A synthetic formulation of the bioactive lipid composition was developed and tested for the ability to overcome proliferative growth arrest induced by CWF. The data demonstrate the ability of the lipid fraction of PRP to significantly enhance the migration and proliferation of HDFa, and to overcome the proliferative growth arrest induced by CWF. Furthermore, the synthetic lipid formulation generated following characterization of the PRP lipidome demonstrated a similar ability to overcome proliferative arrest of HDFa in the presence of CWF. For the first time, we demonstrate the relevance of the lipid fraction of PRP toward the biology of wound healing. These studies open the possibility of altering the lipid profile of PRP via diet or exogenous pathway manipulation to obtain a better healing outcome. The lipid fraction of PRP is under investigated and yet relevant component in wound healing. The current study demonstrates the relevance of this fraction in wound healing by PRP.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid with a plethora of biological functions including roles in cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Although high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC ESI-MS/MS) technology has been used to measure the levels of LPA in human blood, serum and plasma, current methods cannot readily detect the minute levels of LPA from cell culture. In this study, a modified HPLC ESI-MS/MS method with enhanced sensitivity was developed, which allows accurate measurements of LPA levels with a limit of quantitation at approximately 10 femtomoles. The method was validated by quantitation of LPA levels in the media of previously characterized cell lines ectopically expressing autotaxin. Specifically, autotaxin overexpression induced an increase in the 16:0, 18:2, 18:1, 18:0, and 20:4 subspecies of LPA, but not the 22:6 LPA subspecies. Lastly, this HPLC ESI-MS/MS method was cross-validated via biological assays previously utilized to assay LPA levels. Hence, this HPLC ESI-MS/MS method will allow researchers to measure in vitro LPA levels and also distinguish between specific LPA subspecies for the delineation of individual biological mechanisms.
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