Attenuation of Slc27a5 gene expression followed by LC-MS measurement of bile acid reconjugation using metabolomics and a stable isotope tracer strategy

J Proteome Res. 2011 Oct 7;10(10):4683-91. doi: 10.1021/pr200475g. Epub 2011 Aug 26.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of high resolution LC-MS together with metabolomics and D(4)-cholic acid (D(4)-CA) as a metabolic tracer to measure the metabolism and reconjugation of bile acids (BAs) in vitro and in vivo. Metabolic tracers are very important because they allow for the direct detection (substrate-to-product) of small and significant biological perturbations that may not be apparent when monitoring "static" endogenous levels of particular metabolites. Slc27a5, also known as fatty acid transport protein 5 (FATP5), is the hepatic BA-CoA ligase involved in reconjugating BAs during enterohepatic BA recycling. Using Slc27a5-cKD mice, silencing of ∼90% gene expression was achieved followed by reduction in the reconjugation of D(4)-CA to D(4)-taurocholic acid (D(4)-TCA), as well as other conjugated BA metabolites in plasma (p = 0.0031). The method described allowed a rapid measure of many D(4) and endogenous BA. Analysis of bile resulted in the detection of 39 BA metabolites from a 13 min analytical run. Finally, the utilization of a novel high resolution mass spectrometry method in combination with metabolomics and a stable isotope metabolic tracer allowed for the detection of targeted and untargeted BAs following silencing of the Slc27a5 gene in primary hepatocytes and in mice.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bile Acids and Salts / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Fatty Acid Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Humans
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Metabolomics / methods*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Substances

  • Bile Acids and Salts
  • Fatty Acid Transport Proteins
  • Slc27a5 protein, mouse