OBJECTIVE:To evaluate whether targeted plasma phospholipidomics identifies an externally validated blood panel for pneumoconiosis triage across dust-exposed and nonexposed worker cohorts. METHODS:We quantified 53 plasma phospholipids by UPLC-MS/MS in discovery (n=392) and external (n=221) cohorts comprising pneumoconiosis, dust-exposed noncase, and nonexposed healthy control participants. Candidate lipids were selected by covariate-adjusted screening and LASSO, then tested with clinical covariates. RESULTS:A five-lipid panel was retained. In the external cohort, Firth logistic regression achieved AUC 0.983, sensitivity 0.923, and specificity 0.955. Cytokine-lipid correlations supported inflammatory plausibility. CONCLUSIONS:This panel may support occupational triage for confirmatory imaging, pending prospective multicenter validation.

This study aims to investigate the effects of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) exposure on chromium levels in urine, plasma and erythrocyte in a human population. A total of fifty local residents, aged 18 to 65 years, were selected from both an exposed group and a control group. Chromium concentrations in urine, plasma, and erythrocytes were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). To compare chromium levels across groups, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was employed. Additionally, Spearman correlation analysis was was used to assess the relationships between urine, plasma and erythrocyte chromium concentrations. The median[M(P25, P75)] urine chromium level in the exposed group was 1.773 (1.245, 3.485) µg/L, compared to 0.612 (0.481, 0.810) µg/L in the control group. Plasma chromium concentrations were 0.739 (0.596, 1.182) µg/L in the exposed group and 0.544 (0.387, 0.672) µg/L in the control group. The erythrocyte chromium level was 0.874(0.753, 1.086) µg/L in the exposed group and 0.499 (0.364, 0.643) µg/L in the control group. Chromium concentrations in the exposed group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). A comparison of chromium levels across urine, plasma and erythrocyte chromium samples within the exposed group revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Specifically, urine chromium levels were higher than both plasma chromium and erythrocyte chromium levels, with a significant difference (p < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found between plasma and erythrocyte chromium levels (p > 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between urine, plasma and erythrocyte chromium levels (p < 0.001). Stratified analysis by age, gender showed significantly higher chromium concentrations in the exposed group compared to the control group across all strata (p < 0.05). These results suggest that Cr(VI) exposure through drinking water leads to elevated chromium levels in urine, plasma and erythrocyte. Erythrocyte chromium concentrations may serve as a reliable biomarker of Cr(VI) exposure.

This study investigated the toxicological mechanisms of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) exposure on human health by analyzing the urinary metabolomics of residents exposed to Cr(VI) through drinking water. The aim of the study was to identify metabolites with significant differences and discover potential biomarkers for early detection and assessment of Cr(VI)-induced toxicity. Local residents aged 18-65 years were selected from both the Cr(VI)-exposed and control groups using simple random sampling. Using untargeted metabolomics technique, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) to detecte urine metabolites of people exposed to Cr(VI)in drinking water, combining multivariate and single-variable statistical analyses to screen different metabolites, and using MetaboAnalyst 5.0 software to conduct metabolic pathway analysis. 30 differential metabolites including Coproporphyrin Ⅲ, 7-Methylguanosine, Pentosidine, 18-Carboxy-dinor-LTE4, Deoxyguanosine, 4a-Hydroxytetrahydrobiop-terin, Dodecanediacylcarnitine, Allocholic acid, and Thromboxane were screened. Among these, 17 metabolites were up-regulated, such as Pentosidine, 18-Carboxy-dinor-LTE4, Dodecanediacylcarnitine, Allocholic acid, and Thromboxane, etc, while 13 metabolites were down-regulated, including Coproporphyrin III, 7-Methylguanosine, Deoxyguanosine, and 4a-Hydroxytetrahydrobiopterin, etc. N-ceramide-sphingosine, Stearic acid, Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (0:0/24:1), Lithocholic acid-3-O-glucuronide, (2E,4Z)-N-isobutyl-2,4-octadecanediamide, Thromboxane, Glycylcholic acid, and Pentosan were identified as potential biomarkers. Long-term exposure to Cr(VI) in drinking water might impact 13 metabolic pathways, including the urea cycle, androgen and estrogen metabolism, steroid synthesis, as well as arginine, proline, pyrimidine, and purine metabolism. Cr(VI) exposure might lead to damage of some metabolic pathways in drinking water and had potential health risks. Some ssential measures should be taken to reduce and prevent the intake of Cr(VI) from drinking water.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially pyrene, are hazardous pollutants with serious health risks. Effective detection methods for PAHs are essential for environmental monitoring. In this study, we construct a simple, efficient method to detect pyrene derivatives in water. A squaraine dye (J3-Ad) with dual host-guest sites was synthesized and paired with a β-cyclodextrin dimer (H2-CD) to regulate host-guest interactions. In the presence of pyrenes, J3-Ad monomers in the J3-Ad/H2-CD mixture (JH-AC) are displaced by pyrenes and self-assemble into H-aggregates, resulting in a ∼135 nm absorption spectral shift. The transformation was confirmed through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis. The system showed high sensitivity, with detection limits of 1.76 nmol/L for pyrene and 60.02 nmol/L for 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), along with strong anti-interference and reliable colorimetric recognition. A smartphone-based, real-time detection platform was developed for visual monitoring of pyrene in soil and vegetables. Pyrene in tap water and river water, as well as 1-OHP in urine, were successfully detected, with acceptable recovery rates and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 10.14 %. This work provides a sensitive, rapid, and visual method for tracking PAH pollution, offering significant potential for practical, on-site environmental applications.

Manganese (Mn) is a common environmental pollutant, and excessive exposure can lead to motor dysfunction resembling Parkinson's disease. Increasing evidence suggests that Mn impairs endogenous neurogenesis and hinders neural repair. This study aims to investigate the effects of both acute and long-term Mn exposure on neurogenesis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. By establishing acute (7 and 14 days) and long-term (2 and 4 months) Mn exposure mouse models, we assessed neurogenesis under different exposure conditions. The mRNA sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, and metagenomics were employed to uncover the molecular pathways involved in Mn-induced neurogenesis impairment. The results revealed that early stage Mn exposure, including acute and 2 months exposure, transiently promoted neurogenesis. However, prolonged Mn accumulation in the brain led to suppressed neurogenesis, accompanied by neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, which contributed to a vicious cycle of neural damage. Multiomics analyses identified dysregulation of the tryptophan metabolic pathway as a key mechanism, with a marked reduction in melatonin levels following Mn exposure. Notably, exogenous melatonin supplementation effectively rescued Mn-induced impairments in neurogenesis, neuronal integrity, and neuroinflammation. These findings provide new insights into Mn neurotoxicity and highlight melatonin as a potential therapeutic agent for Mn-related neural damage.

Introduction:Pneumoconiosis represents the most prevalent occupational disease in China, with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) showing the highest incidence. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath of CWP patients may provide novel insights into its pathogenesis. Methods:Study data were collected through questionnaires and medical examinations. Thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed for targeted VOC analysis. Differential VOCs were identified using OPLS-DA, the Mann-Whitney U test, and fold change analysis. The discriminatory efficacy of differential VOCs was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Spearman correlation analysis explored relationships between differential VOCs, lung function indices, and blood cell levels. Results:The pneumoconiosis group showed elevated concentrations of 10 compounds, including isopentane, n-pentane, and isoprene, while four compounds, including 2,4-dimethylpentane, methylcyclohexane, 2,3,4-trimethylpentane, and 2-methylheptane showed decreased concentrations. Combined univariate and multivariate statistical analyses identified six significant VOCs, including isopentane and pentane. Notably, isopentane and n-pentane demonstrated negative correlations with forced vital capacity and levels, while 2-methylheptane showed positive correlations. Discussion:Clear metabolic differences in VOCs exist between CWP patients and non-dust-exposed healthy controls. Six compounds - isopentane, n-pentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, cyclohexane, and 2-methylheptane - in exhaled breath demonstrate potential as biomarkers for CWP.

Introduction Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder. Although diverse biomarkers have been established for Parkinson's disease (PD), no widely accepted markers have been identified in MSA. Pyruvate and lactate are the end-product of glycolysis and crucial for brain metabolism. However, their correlation with MSA remains unclear. Moreover, it is elusive how lifestyles modify these metabolites. Methods To investigate the correlation and diagnostic value of plasma pyruvate and lactate levels in MSA and PD. Moreover, we explored how lifestyle-related metabolites interact with these metabolites in determining the disease risk. We assayed the 3 metabolites in pyruvate/lactate and 6 in the tea/coffee metabolic pathways by targeted mass spectrometry and evaluate their interactions and performance in diagnosis and differentiation between MSA and PD. Results We found that 7 metabolites were significantly different between MSA, PD and healthy controls (HCs). Particularly, pyruvate was increased in PD while significantly decreased in MSA patients. Moreover, the tea/coffee metabolites were negatively associated with the pyruvate level in HCs, but not in MSA and PD patients. Using machine-learning models, we showed that the combination of pyruvate and tea/coffee metabolites diagnosed MSA (AUC = 0.878) and PD (AUC = 0.833) with good performance. Additionally, pyruvate had good performance in distinguishing MSA from PD (AUC = 0.860), and the differentiation increased (AUC = 0.922) when combined with theanine and 1,3-dimethyluric acid. Conclusions This study demonstrates that pyruvate correlates reversely with MSA and PD, and may play distinct roles in their pathogenesis, which can be modified by lifestyle-related tea/coffee metabolites.

Introduction:Pneumoconiosis is the most prevalent occupational disease in China, with coal worker pneumoconiosis (CWP) demonstrating the highest incidence. Studies have indicated that phospholipids may be associated with CWP. Methods:In this study, serum was obtained from 62 patients with pneumoconiosis, 105 coal dust-exposed workers, and 50 healthy individuals and analyzed via targeted lipidomics using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). After initially identifying phospholipids with significant differences through univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. The differential phospholipids identified in patient samples were then integrated to assess their diagnostic potential for CWP using a support vector machine (SVM). Results:Compared with healthy subjects, the levels of Lyso-PS (18:0) were decreased, while PC (16:0), PC (18:0), PC (16:0/18:1), PI (16:0/18:1), PS (18:1), PG (16:0), and PG (18:0/18:1) were significantly increased in the pneumoconiosis group, with an area under the curve (AUC)>0.7. Moreover, compared with the dust-exposed group, Lyso-PC (16:0), PC (16:0), PC (16:0/18:1), PI (16:0/18:1), and PG (16:0) were significantly elevated in the pneumoconiosis group, with an AUC>0.7. The diagnostic model, including PC (16:0), PC (16:0/18:1), PI (16:0/18:1), and PG (16:0), demonstrated excellent performance with an AUC of 0.956. Discussion:The serum phospholipid profiles of patients with pneumoconiosis differed significantly from those of controls, including differences in PC, Lyso-PC, PI, PS, Lyso-PS, and PG. Among these, a diagnostic model incorporating PC (16:0), PC (16:0/18:1), PI (16:0/18:1), and PG (16:0) demonstrated superior screening efficiency.

[Background]Volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in exhaled breath are closely associated with respiratory diseases and are linked to various metabolic reactions in the human body.A quanti-tative analytical method can provide technical support for studying VOCs related to various dis-eases. [Objective]To establish a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(TD-GC-MS)method for the determination of 27 VOCs in exhaled breath. [Methods]VOCs in exhaled breath were collected using a Bio-VOC sampler and enriched with Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes before TD-GC-MS analysis.Standards were collected using thermal desorption tubes and optimized for thermal desorption conditions as well as chromato-graphic and mass spectrometric conditions:The separation of the 27 VOCs was achieved by an optimized temperature program,the improvement of sensitivity by optimizing quantitative ions,and the increase of VOCs desorption efficiency by optimizing thermal desorption time and temperature.Limit of detection,limit of quan-tification,accuracy,precision,and stability of the proposed method were investigated by spiking with a blank gas bag,and exhaled breath samples from 20 healthy individuals were collected for an application study of the proposed method. [Results]The thermal desorption temperature was 280℃,and desorption time was 6 min.A VF-624ms chromatographic column was se-lected for the separation of target substances.The initial temperature of heating program was 35℃,maintained for 1 min,and then in-creased to 100℃at a heating rate of 3℃·min-1 for 1 min,followed by increasing to 210℃at a heating rate of 28℃·min-1 for 5 min.A quantitative analysis was conducted with a single ion monitoring(SIM)mode.Under these conditions,the 27 VOCs showed good linear relationships in their respective concentration ranges and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.9990.The limits of detection of the method were in the range of 0.01-0.13 nmol·mol-1,the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.02-0.44 nmol·mol-1,and the spiked recoveries were in the range of 80.1%-120.5%,with intra-batch and inter-batch precision≤18.8%and 17.9%respectively.All sub-stances can be stored at room temperature(23-28 ℃)for 7 d and at 4 ℃ for 14 d.The proposed method was applied to exhaled breath samples from 20 subjects with detection rates≥80%(except for trans-2-pentene and decane)and a concentration range of 0.00-465.50 nmol·mol-1. [Conclusion]The established TD-GC-MS method for quantification of VOCs in exhaled breath is characterized by high sensitivity and good accuracy,and is suitable for quantitative determination of VOCs in exhaled breath,which can provide technical support for the study of exhaled breath VOCs.

Silicosis is a common occupational disease, and its main characteristic pathological features are the formation of silicon nodules and diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. In the process of silicosis fibrosis, macrophages can be polarized into M1 macrophages and M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages play a pro-inflammatory role in the early stage of silicosis and release a variety of inflammatory factors, which is the core of inflammatory response. M2 macrophages promote inflammation resolution and tissue repair in silicosis fibrosis stage by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and pro-fibrotic mediators. M1/M2 polarization balance plays an important role in the occurrence and development of silicosis, and the regulation of macrophage polarization direction may play a positive role in the prevention and treatment of silicosis fibrosis. In this review, the role of macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis, the related signaling pathways regulating macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis, and the potential therapeutic targets based on macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis are reviewed, with a view to further strengthening the understanding of the mechanism of macrophage polarization in the pathogenesis and treatment of silicosis fibrosis.

Parabens are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that have estrogen-like activities and may cause male reproductive disorders. Here, we developed a method for the simultaneous determination of four parabens (MeP, EtP, n-PrP, n-BuP) and two metabolites (4-HB and 3,4-DHB) in human seminal plasma by UPLC-MS/MS. The method was used to analyze 144 seminal plasma samples from Chinese males. MeP, EtP, n-PrP, and 4-HB were the dominant compounds. MeP, EtP, and n-PrP were significantly correlated to each other. In addition, 4-HB was significantly correlated to MeP, EtP, n-PrP, and 3,4-DHB, respectively. The results provide direct evidence that parabens and their metabolites are widely distributed in the male reproductive system. The study presents the paraben metabolites levels in human seminal plasma for the first time.

Introduction: Pneumoconiosis emerges as the most critical and prevalent occupational disease in China at present, according to research. Studies indicate that pneumoconiosis may indeed impact the body's phospholipid metabolism. Methods: In this study, serum samples were taken from 46 paired participants, which included patients with pneumoconiosis and dust-exposed workers. We employed ultra-performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology in targeted lipidomics to investigate serum target phospholipids. Initially, a pilot study was conducted with a selection of 24 pneumoconiosis patients and 24 dust-exposed workers, using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to preliminarily identify significant differences in phospholipids. Subsequent to this, the remaining subjects were engaged in a validation study, wherein receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to further substantiate the screening potency of potential lipid biomarkers for pneumoconiosis. Results: The pilot study revealed significantly reduced serum levels of 16:0 lysophosphatidylcholines (Lyso PC), 18:0-18:1 phosphatidylglycerol (PG), 18:0-18:1 phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 18:0 PE, and 18:1 lysophosphatidylethanolamine(Lyso PE) in the case group in comparison to the control group. Additionally, 18:0 PE, 18:0-18:1 PE, and 18:1 Lyso PE emerged as significant phospholipids with superior diagnostic values [area under the curve (AUC)>0.7]. A diagnostic model was established, built on 16:0 PC and 18:0 PE (AUC>0.8). In the ROC analyses of validation studies, the 18:0-18:1 PE and this diagnostic model demonstrated excellent screening efficiency (AUC>0.7). Discussion: A significant divergence in phospholipid metabolism has been observed between pneumoconiosis patients and dust-exposed workers. The 18:0-18:1 PE present in serum could potentially function as a lipid biomarker for pneumoconiosis. Additionally, diagnostic models were developed relying on 16:0 PC and 18:0 PE, proving to have superior screening efficiency.

Objective:To establish ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 22 phospholipids in serum.Methods:In September 2022, Using synthetic non endogenous phospholipids as internal standard, phospholipids in serum were extracted by methanol-dichloromethane (2∶1, V/V) protein precipitation method. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH shield RP18 column, and the mobile phase was methanol/water (5∶95, V/V) containing 10 mM ammonium formate and methanol. Detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode with ion mode switching. And the method was applied by analyzing phospholipids in the serum of coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients. Results:The 22 phospholipids showed good linear relationships in their respective concentration ranges and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.990. The spiked recoveries of the 22 phospholipids were 81.03%-121.63% at the three spiked levels. The intra-assay were less than 14.52%, and the inter-assay were less than 15.00%.Conclusion:The method with the advantages of simplicity, stability and high sensitivity, and it can be used for the analysis of phospholipids in serum.

BackgroundThe diagnosis of cerebral thrombosis origin is challenging and remains unclear. This study aims to identify thrombosis due to cardioembolism (CE) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) from a new perspective of distinct metabolites.MethodsDistinct metabolites between 26 CE and 22 LAA origin thrombi, which were extracted after successful mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation, were analyzed with a ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) system. Enriched metabolic pathways related to the metabolites were identified. Least absolute shrinkage selection operator regression analyses and a filtering method were used to select potential predictors. Furthermore, four machine learning classifiers, including decision tree, logistic regression, random forest (RF), and k means unsupervised classification model, were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the selected metabolites.ResultsUPLC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed that levels of 88 and 55 metabolites were elevated in LAA and CE thrombi, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed a significant difference between the pathways enriched in the two types of thrombi. Six metabolites (diglyceride (DG, 18:3/24:0), DG (22:0/24:0), phytosphingosine, galabiosylceramide (18:1/24:1), triglyceride (15:0/16:1/o–18:0), and glucosylceramide (18:1/24:0)) were finally selected to build a predictive model. The predictive RF model was confirmed to be the best, with a satisfactory stability and prediction capacity (area under the curve=0.889).ConclusionsSix metabolites as potential predictors for distinguishing between cerebral thrombi of CE and LAA origin were identified. The results are useful for understanding the pathogenesis and for secondary stroke prevention.

Background and aimsCarotid atherosclerosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke. Lipids play a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis. To date, the spatial lipid profile of carotid atherosclerotic plaques related to histology has not been systematically investigated.MethodsCarotid atherosclerosis samples from 12 patients were obtained and classified into four classical pathological stages (preatheroma, atheroma, fibroatheroma and complicated lesion) by histological staining. Desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) was used to investigate the lipid profile of carotid atherosclerosis, and correlated it with histological information. Bioinformatics technology was used to process MSI data among different pathological stages of atherosclerosis lesions.ResultsA total of 55 lipids (26 throughout cross-section regions [TCSRs], 13 in lipid-rich regions [LRRs], and 16 in collagen-rich regions [CRRs]) were initially identified in carotid plaque from one patient. Subsequently, 32 of 55 lipids (12 in TCSRs, eight in LRRs, and 12 in CRRs) were further screened in 11 patients. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that multiple metabolic pathways, such as fat digestion and absorption, cholesterol metabolism, lipid and atherosclerosis, were enriched in TCSRs; sphingolipid signaling pathway, necroptosis pathway were enriched in LRRs; and glycerophospholipid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism pathway were mainly enriched in CRRs.ConclusionsThis study comprehensively showed the spatial lipid metabolism footprint in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The lipid profiles and related metabolism pathways in three regions of plaque with disease progression were different markedly, suggesting that the different metabolic mechanisms in these regions of carotid plaque may be critical in atherosclerosis progression.

Welding fume exposure is inevitable of welding workers and poses a severe hazard to their health since welding is a necessary industrial process. Thus, preclinical diagnostic symptoms of worker exposure are of great importance. The aim of this study was to screen serum differential metabolites of welding fume exposure based on UPLC–QTOF-MS/MS. In 2019, 49 participants were recruited at a machinery manufacturing factory. The non-target metabolomics technique was used to clarify serum metabolic signatures in people exposed to welding fume. Differential metabolites were screened by OPLS-DA analysis and Student's t-test. The receiver operating characteristic curve evaluated the discriminatory power of differential metabolites. And the correlations between differential metabolites and metal concentrations in urine and whole blood were analyzed utilizing Pearson correlation analysis. Thirty metabolites were increased significantly, and 5 metabolites were decreased. The differential metabolites are mainly enriched in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, glycero phospholipid, linoleic acid, and thiamine. These results observed that lysophosphatidylcholine (20:1/0:0) and phosphatidylglycerol(PGF1α/16:0) had a tremendous anticipating power with relatively increased AUC values (AUC > 0.9), and they also presented a significant correlation of Mo concentrations in whole blood and Cu concentrations in urine, respectively. The serum metabolism was changed significantly after exposure to welding fume. Lysophosphatidylcholine (20:1/0:0) and phosphatidylglycerol (PGF1α/16:0) may be a potential biological mediator and biomarker for laborers exposure to welding fume.

Acer truncatum Bunge seed oil (ASO) is rich in ω-9 (53.93%) and ω-6 (30.7%) fatty acids (FAs) and characterized by 3-7% nervonic acid (NA, C24:1ω-9). Evidence suggests that ω-9 FAs such as NA participate in processes of cognitive improvement; however, their mechanism remains ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the effect of ASO on rat memory and the change in lipid profiling and underlying metabolism. After ASO was administrated to rats for one, three and seven days, their capacity for learning and memory significantly increased via the MWM test. Lipid profiling showed alterations in a wide range of metabolic features after ASO was administrated to the rats, in which sphingolipids (SP) in the serum and glycerophospholipids (GP) in the brain were regulated significantly. The changes in the fatty acids in the serum and brain showed the synergetic effects of NA, EA, OA and DHA, where NA, EA and OA exhibited similar change trends. The enrichment analysis based on KEGG indicated that ASO supplementation evoked the pathways of neurotrophin signaling, glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism, which are related to memory and cognition improvement. Among the metabolites with different molecular forms, the biomarkers with C24:1ω-9 chains exhibited a positive correlation with others both in the serum SP and brain GP. These results suggest the synergistic effects of ω-9 FAs and that their conversion into each other may result in enhanced cognition in rats ingesting Acer truncatum Bunge seed oil.

In this work, untargeted lipidomics was employed to analyze the effects of coal dust exposure on serum metabolite profiles. Furthermore, the potential of differential metabolites as novel biomarkers for diagnosis was investigated by binary logistic classification model. Nineteen differential metabolites were found among the three groups. The compounds were enriched in pathways associated with linoleic acid metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism. Fifty-three differential metabolites were found in coal dust–exposed people and CWP patients, and they were mainly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Three differential metabolites were correlated with lung function values. The diagnostic model, composed of lysoPI (16:0/0:0), bilirubin, and lysoPC (24:1/0:0), showed strong discrimination ability between dust-exposed people and CWP patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values of the model were 0.869, 0.600, and 0.750, respectively. The results suggest that coal worker’s pneumoconiosis causes abnormal lipid metabolism in the body. A diagnostic model may aid current CWP diagnostic methods, and lysoPI (16:0/0:0), bilirubin, and lysoPC (24:1/0:0) can be used as potential CWP biomarkers. Further study is warranted to validate the findings in larger populations.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compound is considered as a common environmental and occupational pollutant due to widespread application in industry and agriculture. Cr(VI) as a carcinogen poses a serious threat to human health and the underlying mechanisms need further investigation. Previous studies had demonstrated the characteristic expression profiling after Cr(VI) treatment in vitro and in vivo at the levels of gene and protein. The comprehensive metabolic signatures were also conducive to discover potential biomarkers for effects assessment of Cr(VI) toxicity. In the current study, Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) non-targeted metabolomics was applied to analyze serum metabolic changes in 77 chromate exposure workers and 62 controls. Thirteen metabolites were found significantly decreased and 41 metabolites were increased, which were involved in arginine and proline metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism by bioinformatic analysis. Furthermore, there were significant negative correlations between blood Cr level and Arginine, PC(18:2/24:4) and PC(14:0/16:0), subgroup analyses indicated that these correlations were observed in male-only subgroups, and were not found among chromate workers and controls separately. Diet could be a potential confounder which was not controlled rigorously in this study. These findings provided preliminary clues to investigate the underlying mechanisms of Cr(VI)-induced toxicity and were required to be further verified in future researches.