Table 1.
Summary of adipose tissue lipidomics studies in rodents.
| Category | Subjects studied | Experimental interventions or conditions (sample size) | Sample type | Lipidomic findings | Refs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aging | male C57BL/6J mice |
25 months (n = 3) vs. 2.5 months (n = 3) 15 months (n = 5) vs. 2 months (n = 5) |
BAT | ↑ |
PUFA-containing PC, PUFA-containing PE, and SM 36:1 in 25-month-old mice Cer (18:1, 20:0, 22:0, 24:1) in 15-month-old mice |
5 |
| iWAT | ↑ | Cer (18:1, 20:0) in 15-month-old mice | ||||
| n = 48, male C57BL/6 mice | 24 months (n = 24) vs. 2 months (n = 24) | BAT | ↑ | BMP in 24-month-old mice | 7 | |
| gWAT | ↑ | BMP, PE, PI, PC O-, PE O-, and LPE O- in 24-month-old mice | ||||
| n = 12, male C57BL/6J mice | 10–12 months Veh (n = 6) vs. 2–3 months Veh (n = 6) | BAT mitochondria | ↑ | Cardiolipin, PC, PE, PI, and PS in 10–12-month-old mice | 15 | |
| iWAT mitochondria | ↑ | PC, PE, PI, PS, ePC, ePE, and LPC in 10–12-month-old mice | ||||
| gWAT mitochondria | ↑ | PC, PS, ePC, and ePE in 10–12-month-old mice | ||||
| n = 4–6 per group, male Wistar rats | 24 months (n = 4–6) vs. 3 months (n = 4–6) | gWAT | ↑ | Cer (16:0, 20:0) in 24-month-old rats | 8 | |
| ↓ | Cer 24:1 in 24-month-old rats | |||||
| gWAT plasma membrane | ↑ | UFA-containing PC, UFA-containing PC O-, ePC, and SM in 24-month-old rats | ||||
| Sex | n = 12, C57BL/6N mice | Male (n = 6) vs. Female (n = 6) | BAT | ↑ | 16:0-containing phospholipids, 16:1-containing phospholipids, and 18:2-containing phospholipids in males | 18 |
| ↓ | Phospholipids, 18:0-containing phospholipids, 20:4-containing phospholipids, PG, PI, and SM in males | |||||
| n = 11, C57BL/6 mice | Male (n = 5) vs. Female (n = 6) | BAT | ↓ | SM in males | 24 | |
| n = 24, C57BL/6 mice | Male sedentary WT/ND (n = 12) vs. Female sedentary WT/ND (n = 12) | BAT | ↓ | Cardiolipin 72:8, PC 18:0/20:4, PE 18:0/20:4, and LPC in males | 19 | |
| n = 12, C57BL/6J mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 6 weeks) Male HF PBS (n = 6) vs. Female HF PBS (n = 6) |
gWAT | ↑ | PC, PE, PG, PI, PS, LPC, and Cer in HF diet-fed males | 23 | |
| Exercise | n = 12, male C57BL/6 mice |
Exercise (voluntary wheel running, 3 weeks) Exercise (n = 6) vs. Sedentary (n = 6) |
BAT | ↑ | PC, PE (40:5, 40:6, 44:4), PC O- (28:2, 36:2), PE O- (34:1, 36:5, 40:6), and LPE 20:1 in exercised mice | 38 |
| ↓ | TG, cardiolipin, PE (24:1, 34:0), PE 44:7/PE O- 44:0, PE-bound MUFAs, PS (16:0/16:1), and LPG in exercised mice | |||||
| iWAT | ↑ | PE-bound MUFAs in exercised mice | ||||
| ↓ | TG, acyl chain (44-58 carbons)-containing TG, TG-bound PUFAs, TG-bound short- and medium-acyl chain, PA (16:0/20:4, 18:1/20:2), even-chain fatty acyl (30-36 carbon)-containing PC, PE (34:0, 36:6, 42:4), PE 42:0/PE O- 42:7, PS, PS/LPS-bound 18:2, PS/LPS-bound 20:4, PS/LPS-bound PUFAs, 16:0-containing PS, 18:1-containing PS, 18:2-containing PS, LPG, and LPI in exercised mice | |||||
| n = 35, male Wistar rats |
Exercise (voluntary wheel running, 8 weeks) Exercise (n = 20) vs. Sedentary (n = 15) |
iWAT | ↓ | TG in exercised rats | 37 | |
| gWAT | ↑ | TG-bound PUFAs, TG-bound omega-6 fatty acids, TG-bound 18:0, and TG-bound 18:2 in exercised rats | ||||
| ↓ | TG-bound MUFAs, TG-bound 16:0, TG-bound 16:1, and TG-bound 18:1 in exercised rats | |||||
| n = 3–4 per group, male Sprague‒Dawley rats |
HF diet (71 kcal% from fat, 17 weeks) Exercise (treadmill running, 5 days/week for 8 weeks, 15 min/day at 15 m/min up to 60 min/day at 25 m/min for the last 4 weeks) HET, SET vs. HS vs. SS (n = 3–4/group) |
gWAT | ↑ | TG-bound 18:2 in HET compared to HS | 41 | |
| ↓ | TG-bound 16:0, 16:1, and 18:1 in SET compared to SS | |||||
| Cold exposure | n = 16, male C57BL/6J mice |
Cold (4 °C, 7 days) Thermoneutral (30 °C, 7 days) Cold (n = 8) vs. Thermoneutral (n = 8) |
BAT | ↑ | 16:0-containing PG, 16:1-containing PG, 18:1-containing PG, 18:2-containing PG, and (PG species with 16:0, 16:1, 18:1 acyl chain)-containing cardiolipin in cold-exposed mice | 61 |
| iWAT | ↑ | 16:0-containing PG, 16:1-containing PG, 18:1-containing PG, and 18:2-containing PG (PG species with 16:0, 16:1, 18:1 acyl chain)-containing cardiolipin in cold-exposed mice | ||||
| n = 10, male C57BL/6J mice |
Cold (4 °C, 3 days) Cold (n = 5) vs. RT (n = 5) |
iWAT | ↑ | Acylcarnitine, phospholipid-bound 20:4, phospholipid-bound 20:5, phospholipid-bound 22:6, cardiolipin, PC, PE, PI, PS, LPC, LPE, LPG, LPI, Cer, and SM in cold-exposed mice | 59 | |
| n = 10, male C57BL/6J mice |
Cold (4 °C, 3 days) Cold (n = 5) vs. RT (n = 5) |
BAT | ↑ | PC-bound 18:0, PE-bound 18:0, PE-bound 18:2, PS-bound 18:2, LPE-bound 18:0, and LPE-bound 18:1 in cold-exposed mice | 48 | |
| ↓ | Phospholipid-bound 16:1, 16:1-containing PE, 16:1-containing PC, and 16:1-containing LPC in cold-exposed mice | |||||
| β3-Adrenergic receptor agonist | n = 10, male C57BL/6J mice |
CL316,243 (1 mg/kg/d, 10 days) CL (n = 5) vs. Veh (n = 5) |
iWAT | ↑ | Cardiolipin, PC (34:1, 34:2, 36:1, 36:2, 36:3), PE (36:2, 36:3, 38:4, 38:5), and LPC (18:0, 18:1, 18:2) in CL-treated mice | 65 |
| gWAT | ↑ | Cardiolipin, PA, PC (34:1, 34:2, 36:1, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4), PE (34:1, 34:2, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4, 38:4, 38:5), LPC (18:0, 18:1, 18:2), Cer (d18:0/20:0, d18:1/20:0, d18:1/22:0, d18:1/24:0, d18:1/24:1), GluCer (d18:1/18:0, d18:1/20:0, d18:1/22:0, d18:0/24:1), and SM in CL-treated mice | ||||
| n = 10, male C57BL/6J mice |
CL316,243 (1 mg/kg/d, 3 days) CL (n = 5) vs. Control (n = 5) |
iWAT | ↓ | Cer, dihydroCer, SM, and sphinganine in CL-treated mice | 69 | |
| gWAT | ↓ | Cer, dihydroCer, SM, and sphinganine in CL-treated mice | ||||
| n = 12, male C57BL/6J mice |
Young (2–3 months old) CL316,243 (1 mg/kg/d, 7 days) Young CL (n = 6) vs. Young Veh (n = 6) |
BAT mitochondria | ↑ | Cardiolipin, PA, PC (34:1, 34:2, 36:1, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4, 38:4), PE, LPC (16:0, 18:0, 18:2), and very-long acyl chain (22:0, 22:1)-containing sphingolipid in CL-treated mice | 15 | |
| iWAT mitochondria | ↑ | Cardiolipin (72:6, 72:8, 74:9, 74:11), PC (34:1, 34:2, 36:1, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4, 38:4), and PE (36:2, 36:3, 38:4) in CL-treated mice | ||||
| ↓ | PA and SM (16:0, 22:0, 24:1) in CL-treated mice | |||||
| gWAT mitochondria | ↑ | Cardiolipin, PC (34:1, 34:2, 36:1, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4, 38:4), and PE (34:2, 36:2, 36:3, 36:4, 38:4, 38:5, 38:6, 40:7) in CL-treated mice | ||||
| ↓ | PA and SM (16:0, 22:0, 24:1) in CL-treated mice | |||||
| Anti-diabetic drug | n = 16, male C57BL/6J mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 16 or 32 weeks) Beinaglutide (150 μg/kg/day, 6 weeks) HF-Beinaglutide (n = 8) vs. HF-Veh (n = 8) |
BAT | ↓ | PI and acyl chain (16-24 carbon)-containing Cer d18:1 in beinaglutide-treated mice | 75 |
| iWAT | ↑ | Acyl chain (>33 carbon)-containing SM in beinaglutide-treated mice | ||||
| ↓ | PI and acyl chain (16-24 carbon)-containing Cer d18:1 in beinaglutide-treated mice | |||||
| gWAT | ↑ | Acyl chain (>33 carbon)-containing SM in beinaglutide-treated mice | ||||
| ↓ | PI in beinaglutide-treated mice | |||||
| n = 12, male db/db mice |
Liraglutide (200 μg/kg/d, 8 weeks) Liraglutide (n = 6) vs. Veh (n = 6) |
BAT | ↑ | PE 38:6, PC 36:4-1, Cer 40:1-1, Cer 40:2-3, Cer 44:2-3, and SM 42:5 in liraglutide-treated mice | 76 | |
| n = 30, male Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats |
Empagliflozin (30 mg/kg/day, 6 weeks) Empagliflozin (n = 15) vs. Veh (n = 15) |
iWAT | ↑ | PC 40:0 and PC P-16:0/20:4 in empagliflozin-treated mice | 79 | |
| ↓ | PC (0:0/16:1, 0:0/18:1, 0:0/20:3), PE (18:2/0:0, 20:4/0:0, 0:0/18:1, 0:0/18:2), LPC (16:1), and LPI (18:1, 20:4) in empagliflozin-treated mice | |||||
| gWAT | ↑ | DG, 9,10-DiHOME, 12,13-DiHOME, 13-OxoODE, FFA 18:2, and FFA 20:1 in empagliflozin-treated mice | ||||
| Time- restricted feeding | n = 28, male C57BL/6 J mice |
HF diet-AL (48% of energy from fat, ad libitum) HF diet-TRF (48% of energy from fat, restricted to feeding for 12 h per day during the dark phase) HF-TRF (n = 14) vs. HF-AL (n = 14) |
gWAT | ↑ | SFA (12:0, 16:0, 18:0, 20:0, 22:0) in HF-TRF | 82 |
| ↓ | 14-Methyl palmitate in HF-TRF | |||||
| Obesity | n = 16, male C57BL/6J mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 8 weeks) HF (n = 8) vs. ND (n = 8) |
BAT | ↓ | PUFA-containing PE P- (16:0/20:4, 18:1/20:4), LPC P- 18:0, and LPE P- (16:0, 18:1, 18:2, 20:0) in HF | 94 |
| iWAT | ↓ | PUFA-containing PE P- (16:0/20:4, 18:1/20:4), LPC P- 18:0, and LPE P- (16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 20:0) in HF | ||||
| gWAT | ↓ | PUFA-containing PE P- (16:0/20:4, 18:1/20:4) and LPE P- (16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 20:0) in HF | ||||
| n = 8, male C57BL/6J mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 12 weeks) HF (n = 4) vs. ND (n = 4) |
BAT | ↑ | Cer 16:0 in HF | 100 | |
| n = 16, male C57BL/6N mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 14 weeks) HF (n = 8) vs. ND (n = 8) |
gWAT | ↑ | Cer (16:0, 18:0) in HF | 101 | |
| n = 13, male WKAH/HkmS1c rats |
HF diet (230 g of lard added to the normal diet per kg in place of the dextrin, 8 weeks) HF (n = 7) vs. ND (n = 6) |
gWAT | ↑ | FFA 18:0 in HF | 91 | |
| ↓ | Free PUFA (22:2, 22:4, 22:5) in HF | |||||
| n = 10, male C57BL/6J mice |
HF diet (60 kcal% from fat, 15 weeks) HF (n = 5) vs. ND (n = 5) |
gWAT | ↑ | Phospholipid-bound 18:0, sphingolipid-bound 18:0, and dihydroCer in HF | 92 | |
| gWAT adipocyte derived extracellular vesicles | ↓ | Cer in HF | ||||
| n = 8, male B6.Cg-Lepob/J mice | ob/ob (n = 4) vs. Lean (n = 4) | gWAT | ↑ | Phospholipid-bound 18:0 and sphingolipid-bound 18:0 in ob/ob | ||
| n = 18, male B6.Cg-Lepob/J mice | ob/ob (n = 8) vs. Lean (n = 10) | gWAT adipocyte derived extracellular vesicles | ↓ | Cer in ob/ob |
Elevated levels of lipid species corresponding to distinct physiological conditions are denoted by an upward arrow (↑), whereas reduced levels of lipid species are represented by a downward arrow (↓).
AL Ad libitum, BAT brown adipose tissue, BMP bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, Cer ceramide, CL CL316,243, DG diacylglycerol, ePC ether-linked PC, ePE ether-linked PE, FFA free fatty acid, GluCer glucosylceramide, gWAT gonadal white adipose tissue, HET high-fat diet endurance training, HF high fat, HS high-fat diet sedentary, iWAT inguinal white adipose tissue, LPC lysophosphatidylcholine, LPC P- plasmenyl LPC, LPE lysophosphatidylethanolamine, LPE O- plasmanyl LPE, LPE P- plasmenyl LPE, LPG lysophosphatidylglycerol, LPI lysophosphatidylinositol, LPS lysophosphatidylserine, MUFA monounsaturated fatty acid, ND normal diet, PA phosphatidic acid, PBS phosphate-buffered saline, PC phosphatidylcholine, PC O- plasmanyl PC, PC P- plasmenyl PC, PE phosphatidylethanolamine, PE O- plasmanyl PE, PE P- plasmenyl PE, PG phosphatidylglycerol, PI phosphatidylinositol, PS phosphatidylserine, PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acid, RT room temperature, SET standard-diet endurance training, SFA saturated fatty acid, SM sphingomyelin, SS standard-diet sedentary, TG triglyceride/triacylglycerol, TRF time restricted feeding, UFA unsaturated fatty acid, Veh vehicle, WT wild type.