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Plasma Phosphatidylethanolamine and Triacylglycerol Fatty Acid Concentrations are Altered in Major Depressive Disorder Patients with Seasonal Pattern

  • Original Article
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Lipids

Abstract

Disturbances in peripheral and brain lipid metabolism, including the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, these changes have yet to be confirmed in MDD with seasonal pattern (MDD-s), a subtype of recurrent MDD. The present exploratory study quantified plasma plasmalogen and diacyl-phospholipid species, and fatty acids within total phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, triacylglycerols and free fatty acids in non-medicated MDD-s participants (n = 9) during euthymia in summer or fall, and during depression in winter in order to screen for potential high sensitivity lipid biomarkers. Triacylglycerol alpha-linolenic acid concentration was significantly decreased, and myristoleic acid concentration was significantly increased, during winter depression compared to summer-fall euthymia. 1-stearyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, a diacyl-phospholipid containing stearic acid and DHA, was significantly decreased in winter depression. Concentrations of cholesteryl ester oleic acid and several polyunsaturated fatty acids between summer/fall and winter increased in proportion to the increase in depressive symptoms. The observed changes in lipid metabolic pathways in winter-type MDD-s offer new promise for lipid biomarker development.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

Alpha-linolenic acid

ARA:

Arachidonic acid

di-17:0 PC:

1,2-Diheptadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

LNA:

Linoleic acid

LC–MS/MS:

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

MDD-s:

Major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern

MRM:

Multiple reaction monitoring

OLA:

Oleic acid

PtdCho:

Phosphatidylcholine

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

STA-ARA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-Stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl -sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

STA-DHA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-Stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

STA-OLA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-Stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

STol-ARA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

STol-DHA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

STol-OLA-Gro-3-PCho:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

PE:

Phosphatidylethanolamine

STA-ARA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-Stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

STA-DHA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-Stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

STA-OLA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-Stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

STol-ARA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

STol-DHA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

STol-OLA-Gro-3-PEtn:

1-(1Z-octadecenyl)-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

RBC:

Red blood cells

TLC:

Thin layer chromatography

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Acknowledgements

WS and AYT conceived the idea of probing lipidomics in seasonal affective disorder patients. WS and AJL conceived the study design and implementation. KN and YO contributed the plasmalogen standards and method development. YO and MH performed the analysis. AYT and WS contributed to drafting the manuscript. All authors edited and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Yurika Otoki, Marie Hennebelle & Ameer Y. Taha

  2. Food and Biodynamic Chemistry Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Yurika Otoki & Kiyotaka Nakagawa

  3. Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Anthony J. Levitt & Walter Swardfager

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Walter Swardfager

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  1. Yurika Otoki
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  2. Marie Hennebelle
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  3. Anthony J. Levitt
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  4. Kiyotaka Nakagawa
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  5. Walter Swardfager
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  6. Ameer Y. Taha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ameer Y. Taha.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Sunnybrook Research Ethics Board and complied with ethical standards.

Funding

The authors acknowledge financial support from the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology and College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Department of Psychiatry and Sunnybrook Research Institute Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program.

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Otoki, Y., Hennebelle, M., Levitt, A.J. et al. Plasma Phosphatidylethanolamine and Triacylglycerol Fatty Acid Concentrations are Altered in Major Depressive Disorder Patients with Seasonal Pattern. Lipids 52, 559–571 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-017-4254-1

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