Changes in the lipid profile of hamster liver after Schistosoma mansoni infection, characterized by mass spectrometry imaging and LC–MS/MS analysis

Abstract

Schistosomiasis, caused by the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni, is one of the WHO-listed neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and it has severe impact on morbidity and mortality, especially in Africa. Not only the adult worms but also their eggs are responsible for health problems. Up to 50% of the eggs produced by the female worms are not excreted with the feces but are trapped in the host tissue, such as the liver, where they provoke immune responses and a change in the lipid profile. We built up a database with 372 infection markers found in livers of S. mansoni-infected hamsters, using LC–MS/MS for identification, followed by statistical analysis. Most of them belong to the lipid classes of phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and triglycerides (TGs). We assigned some of these markers to specific anatomical structures by applying high-resolution MALDI MSI to cryosections of hamster liver and generating ion images based on the marker list from the LC–MS/MS experiments. Furthermore, enrichment and depletion of several markers were visualized. Graphic Abstract

Profiling the serum proteome during Schistosoma mansoni infection in the BALB/c mice: A focus on the altered lipid metabolism as a key modulator of host-parasite interactions

“…Protocols designed to enrich for lipoproteins in the context of schistosomiasis should provide a better view of their potential ligands and clues to their distinct roles in immune response or sustaining parasitism. Concerning the latter, a recent report has highlighted the lipidomic profile in the S. mansoni -infected hamster liver using a combination of mass spectrometric approaches ( 39 ). Over 300 lipid markers of infection were appointed in the granulomatous liver, mostly representing phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, and triglycerides.…”

Mass Spectrometry Imaging: An Emerging Technology in Medical Parasitology

“…Additionally, more infectious markers were also found in hosts infected with S. mansoni. Wiedemann et al 50 applied MALDI-MSI to prepare cryosections of hamster liver samples and detected lipid aggregation and changes based on LC-MS/ MS analysis. By comparing infected and control groups, researchers were able to determine the impact of infection on the lipid profile.…”

“…51 Furthermore, Wiedemann and colleagues first examined the interactions of S. mansoni eggs (parasite) with host liver tissue using MALDI-MSI. 50 The specific significance of individual lipid species and lipids in egg-induced pathological alterations in host liver tissue will be specifically clarified by precise information at the lipid species level provided by LC-MS/MS analysis, in combination with lateral information obtained by MALDI-MSI.…”

MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging: A Potential Game-Changer in a Modern Microbiology

“…Along the same line, Wiedemann and colleagues explored the interaction of parasitic Schistosoma mansoni trapped eggs (60–200 µm) in hamster liver. Biomarkers detected by liquid chromatography (LC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and visualized by MALDI-MSI pointed out the lipid’s alteration after infection with S. mansoni and its eggs [ 104 ]. While MALDI-MSI was associated with other separation or complex imaging techniques, it was also reported to have been combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the visualization of Aspergillus and Pseudomonas in rat lungs [ 78 ].…”

“…Along the same line, current devices used in routine microbiology laboratories are working under vacuum settings with a single ionization laser source. Interestingly, several publications described in Table 1 are using atmospheric pressure (AP) MALDI-MSI, i.e., the ionization takes place under atmospheric conditions [ 89 , 99 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 106 ]. The advantage to operating ionization at AP for MSI analysis is the elimination of the pumping time, the ease of sample preparation and the analysis of volatile molecules.…”