The effects of pollutant mixture released from grafted adipose tissues on fatty acid and lipid metabolism in the skeletal muscles, kidney, heart, and lungs of male mice

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) accumulated in the adipose tissue can affect the fatty acid and lipid metabolism in the body. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics analysis was carried out to study the metabolic changes induced by internal exposure to the POPs in mouse skeletal muscle (soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius), kidney, heart, and lungs. Male donor mice were injected with a mixture of 10 POPs at concentrations of 0 × and 5 × lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL). Their adipose tissue (AT) containing the POP was then grafted onto the host mice and the metabolic change of the host mice was monitored for 3 or 21 days. The metabolites related to fatty acid and lipid metabolism were studied. For the host mice engrafted with POP-containing fat pad, there was dysregulation of the fatty acids and glycerides observed in all the organs studied 3 days after the graft. However, there was no longer a significant change in the metabolites 21 days after the graft. The difference in significant values and metabolite regulation in each of the skeletal muscles showed that the POP mixture affects different types of skeletal muscle in a heterogeneous manner. Fold change analysis showed that certain metabolites in the kidney of host mice exposed to POPs for 3 days were greatly affected. Using multivariate analysis, apart from the plantaris, most treated groups exposed to POPs for 3 days are well distinguished from the control groups. However, for host mice exposed to POPs for 21 days, apart from the kidney and heart, groups are not well-distinguished from the control group. This study helps bring new insight into the effects of the pollutants mixture released from AT on fatty acid and lipid metabolism at different periods and how the dysregulation of metabolites might result in diseases associated with the organs.