Le cancer du sein est le cancer féminin le plus fréquent et celui qui cause le plus de décès dans le monde. Il existe plusieurs types de cancer du sein qui diffèrent par l’expression des récepteurs aux œstrogènes, à la progestérone et du récepteur HER2. Le cancer du sein dit triple négatif (TNBC) n’exprime aucun de ces récepteurs. Le métabolisme des sphingolipides (SL) est fréquemment altéré dans les cancers du sein et semble participer à la progression tumorale. Tandis que les SL ont été décrits comme modulateurs des réponses immunitaires dans des modèles précliniques de cancer, il n’existe pas à ce jour d’étude chez l’Homme évaluant l’impact des altérations du métabolisme des SL sur le développement tumoral et la réponse immunitaire associée. Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de nos travaux est double. Le premier objectif est de caractériser une signature sphingolipidique dans des biopsies de tumeurs mammaires humaines de divers sous-types histologiques. Une analyse par spectrométrie de masse à haute résolution nous a permis d’identifier dans les TNBC des taux élevés de SL en -C24:0, qui pourraient constituer des biomarqueurs potentiels pour ce type de cancer. Le deuxième objectif est d’établir une signature sphingolipidique associée à la réponse immunitaire dans le cancer du sein. Nous avons analysé les lymphocytes infiltrant la tumeur (TIL) par cytométrie en flux et par immunohistochimie dans nos échantillons tumoraux. Ces analyses nous ont permis de montrer que, dans les TNBC, les taux de C16:0-céramide sont corrélés positivement avec la proportion de TIL CD8+ et négativement avec celle des Treg FoxP3+. Afin d’évaluer l’influence potentielle des SL sur la topologie d’infiltration des lymphocytes (intratumoral versus adjacent), nous avons aussi comparé les taux de SL dans les tumeurs ayant une forte ou une faible proportion de lymphocytes T CD8+ intratumoraux. Nous avons observé notamment des taux élevés de sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) dans les tumeurs faiblement infiltrées par les lymphocytes T CD8+ intratumoraux. Nos observations suggèrent que la production de C16:0-céramide soit en faveur d’un recrutement préférentiel des lymphocytes T CD8+ dans les TNBC, tandis que la S1P pourrait être un facteur d’immunoéchappement, impactant négativement sur la topologie des TIL CD8+ dans les tumeurs mammaires. L’ensemble de nos travaux indique que certains SL pourraient constituer des biomarqueurs originaux de TNBC. De plus, la reprogrammation de ce métabolisme pourrait augmenter (i) quantitativement et qualitativement l’infiltration intratumorale des lymphocytes, et (ii) potentiellement l’efficacité des immunothérapies dans le cancer du sein. / Breast cancer, the most common malignancy affecting women, is responsible for the majority of woman death by cancer worldwide. There are three different breast cancer types defined by the expression of oestrogen and progesterone and HER2 receptors. The so-called triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), doesn’t express any of these receptors. Sphingolipid (SL) metabolism is frequently altered in breast cancer, alterations are associated with tumour progression. Although SL can act as immune response modulators in preclinical cancer models, there are, to date, no study assessing the impact of SL metabolism alterations on tumor development and associated immune response in Humans. In this setting, our aim was double. Our first objective was to characterize the SL signature in human mammary tumour biopsies from different pathological subtypes. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry assay, we identified elevated levels of C24:0-SL in TNBC, which could be used as potential biomarkers of this cancer subtype. Our second objective was to identify a SL signature associated with immune responses in breast cancer tissues. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Those analyses showed that, in TNBC, levels of C16:0-ceramide are positively correlated with the proportion CD8+ TIL and negatively correlated with that of FoxP3+ Treg TIL. In order to evaluate the potential influence of SL on the topology of infiltrating lymphocytes (intratumoural versus adjacent), we compared the SL levels in tumors depicting high or low proportions of intratumoral CD8+ T cells. We observed higher levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in low infiltrated intratumoral CD8+ T cells. Our observations suggest that C16:0-ceramide production could favor CD8+ T cell recruitment in TNBC, whereas S1P could act as an immune escape factor, negatively impacting on CD8+ TIL topology in mammary tumours. Our whole work indicates that a set of specific SL could constitute original biomarkers in TNBC. Moreover, reprogramming SL metabolism could improve (i) the infiltration of tumours by lymphocytes, both in terms of quality and quantity, and (ii) possibly, the efficacy of immunotherapy in breast cancer.

Sphingoid bases (sphingosine, dihydrosphingosine and phytosphingosine) have been recently found in the oral cavity where they may serve to fortify innate immunity against commensals and periodontal pathogens. In fact, sphingoid bases have potent antimicrobial activity against Gram- positive and Gram- negative bacteria including oral pathogens like Porphyromonas gingivalis. It is not known whether these lipids are cytotoxic or alter the chemokine and cytokine responses of human dendritic cells, a finding important to their future potential as a therapeutic for treatment of periodontal disease. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sphingoid bases on the cytotoxicity and cytokine responses of human myeloid dendritic cells. Methods: Dendritic cells were treated with sphingoid bases (0.2-80.0 μM) for 16 hours in the presence or absence of 0.02 μM hemagglutinin B, a nonfimbrial adhesin of P. gingivalis used as a pro-inflammatory stimulus. The cytotoxicity of the inocula and its ability to induce the production of chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines was determined after 16 hours. Results: Higher concentrations of sphingoid bases were cytotoxic (e.g., 40.0-80.0 μM), but physiologic concentrations of sphingoid bases (e.g., 0.2-20.0 μM) were not. At 5, 10, or 20 μM, sphingosine did not enhance or attenuate any HagB-induced IL-8, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, or TNFα response of human myeloid dendritic cells. At 5 or 10 μM, neither phytosphingosine nor dihydrosphingosine enhanced or attenuated any HagB- induced IL-8, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, or TNFα response of human myeloid dendritic cells. Conclusion: Sphingoid bases exhibit dose-dependent cytotoxicity and cytokine responses against human myeloid dendritic cells. But at physiologic concentrations sphingoid bases appear to be safe and efficacious at the doses needed to prevent or treat microbial infections in the oral cavity.

Fatty acyl-Coenzyme As are metabolites of lipid anabolism and catabolism. A method was developed for their quantitation in extracts of cultured mammalian cells using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Palmitoyl-CoA (C16:0-CoA) is utilized for de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis catalyzed by serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), which condenses palmitoyl-CoA and serine to form 3-ketosphinganine. After reduction to form sphinganine (Sa), dihydroceramide synthase (CerS) can N-acylate the Sa using a second fatty acyl-CoA molecule, forming dihydroceramide (DHCer). The CerS enzyme family utilizes different acyl chain lengths of fatty acyl-CoAs in an isoform-specific manner, resulting in DHCer with N-acyl chains ranging from C16 to C26 [and even longer] in mammalian tissues. DHCer is trans-4,5-desaturated to yield ceramide, which is further metabolized by the addition of moieties at the 1-O-position, forming sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide monohexose (CMH). The rates of fatty acyl-CoA and sphingolipid biosynthesis were determined using stable isotope-labeling and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of the analyte isotopologues and isotopomers. Isotopic labeling of palmitoyl-CoA with [U-13C]-palmitate in HEK293 and RAW264.7 cells was robust and rapid (~ 60% labeling of the metabolite pool in 3 hr). Isotopic labeling of sphingolipids indicated utilization of [M + 16]-palmitoyl-CoA by SPT and CerS isoforms in both cell types. Metabolic flux modeling was applied to the data for [U-13C]-palmitate activation to [M + 16]-palmitoyl-CoA and its subsequent utilization in de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, and this analysis indicated rapid turn-over rates for palmitoyl-CoA and ceramide in both cell types. Palmitate treatment of cultured cells alters their metabolic status and gene expression, therefore labeling of palmitoyl-CoA by treatment with [1-13C]-acetate was employed. A distribution of mass-shifted palmitoyl-CoA species (isotopologues) is observed based on the number of incorporations of [1-13C]-acetate during de novo biosynthesis, requiring computational analysis to derive two parameters: the isotopic enrichment of the precursor pool, and the fraction of palmitoyl-CoA that was biosynthesized during the experiment. Previous reports by others describe mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) and isotopomer spectral analysis (ISA) for this purpose, and both calculation approaches indicated concurrent results. In summary, the quantitation of fatty acyl-CoAs and their isotopic enrichment during stable isotope-labeling studies of lipid metabolism can provide data that significantly change the interpretation of analyte quantitation in these experiments, as demonstrated here for investigations of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis.

Sphingolipids are a highly diverse category of compounds that serve not only as components of biologic structures but also as regulators of numerous cell functions. Because so many of the structural features of sphingolipids influence their biological activity, there is a need for comprehensive methods for quantitation of as many individual subspecies as possible. This dissertation describes methods that have been developed and validated for the extraction, liquid chromatographic separation, identification and quantitation of sphingolipids by electrospray ionization (ESI), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using an internal standard cocktail developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium. The compounds that can be readily analyzed are sphingoid bases and sphingoid base 1-phosphates, as well as more complex species such as ceramides, ceramide 1-phosphates, sphingomyelins, and mono- and di-hexosylceramides. For broader utility, the methods have been optimized for two categories of tandem mass spectrometers. With minor modifications, these methods can be applied to the analysis of isomers such as glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide, and with the availability of additional internal standards, more complex species such as sulfatides can also be quantified. Using these methods 46 species of these compounds have been quantified in RAW264.7 cells, a macrophage cell line. Quantitation of individual sphingolipid metabolites is possible using liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry, and stable isotope labeling with [13C]palmitic acid can be used to differentiate between metabolites produced by de novo synthesis versus turnover. This approach is more accurate when one knows the isotope enrichment of the precursor pool (in this case, [13C]-palmitoyl-CoA); therefore this dissertation describes methods to analyze both the various isotopic forms of palmitoyl-CoA and sphingolipids through sphingomyelins and monohexosylceramides using two cell models, HEK293 cells and RAW264.7 cells treated with Kdo2-Lipid A. The sphingolipid analysis was simplified by the fragmentation of most of the metabolites to backbone product ions. For example the presence of the isotopic label in the long chain base, N-acyl linked fatty acid, or both was determined via, m/z 264 for [12C]sphingosine (d18:1) and m/z 280 for [13C]sphingosine (m+16, d18:1), versus the m/z of the isotopically labeled precursor, (m+16 versus m+32).

Sphingolipids are a complex family of molecules that participate in many aspects of cell structure and function, including an essential cellular process known as autophagy. Autophagy is a degradation and recycling pathway whereby intracellular components are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles, known as autophagosomes, for subsequent fusion with lysosomes and degradation. Autophagy takes part in cell survival, host immune defense against pathogens, and other biological processes, but is also sometimes lethal. Ceramide, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and more recently dihydroceramide have been shown to induce autophagy, which opens an interesting new field of cell regulation by sphingolipids. This dissertation describes two new cases in which sphingolipids participate in the induction of autophagy: a) RAW264.7 cells treated with Kdo2-Lipid A, a lipopolysaccharide sub-structure with endotoxin activity equal to LPS; and b) MCF7 cells treated with fenretinde, a chemotherapeutic agent which has shown success in clinical trials. It also analyzes the structural properties of fenretinide that contribute to its ability to modulate sphingolipid metabolism through inhibition of dihydroceramide desaturase, thereby elevating dihydroceramide and induction of autophagy. Autophagy was monitored by following the redistribution of GFP-LC3 into discrete punctate vesicles in response to the agents and by Western blotting; in parallel, the sphingolipid composition of the cells was monitored by liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed that Kdo2-Lipid A and fenretinide induce profound changes in sphingolipid metabolism in RAW264.7 and MCF7 cells, respectively, and that one of the purposes for increased de novo biosynthesis is to enable the production of autophagosomes, as the autophagic response was inhibited by myriocin. These studies have uncovered a direct link between sphingolipid metabolism and autophagy, which could pave the way for new therapeutic interventions for the treatment of pathogenic infection and be clinically useful in enhancing the efficacy of current cancer treatment strategies.

The sphingolipids are a family of membrane lipids with only a structural role, influencing lipid bilayer properties, but they also act as effector molecules with essential roles in many aspects of cell biology. The sphingolipids ceramide, sphingosine and S1P have shown opposite effects: whereas ceramide and sphingosine usually inhibit proliferation and promote apoptotic responses to different stress stimuli, S1P is known to stimulate cell growth, and promote cell survival. Ceramide can be produced through the de novo synthesis pathway, and by membrane sphingomyelin hydrolysis catalyzed by sphingomyelinases. Both pathways can be activated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFa. Because this cytokine has been shown to promote muscle loss and seems to be crucial in the development of cachexia, we hypothesized that the formation of ceramide, or a metabolite, can be involved in tumor-induced muscle wasting. We investigated the role of ceramide in the in vitro atrophic effects of TNFa on differentiated C2C12 myotubes, by using cell permeant ceramides and inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism. We observed that TNFa atrophic effects, as evaluated by the reduction in myotube area, are mimicked by exogenous ceramides, supporting the idea that ceramide can participate in muscle atrophy. To verify if ceramide is a mediator of TNFa-induced atrophy, and to identify the metabolites potentially involved, we analyzed the effects of drugs able to block sphingolipid metabolism at different steps: the inhibition of de novo synthesis pathway was unable to restore myotube size in the presence of TNFa whereas the inhibitors of neutral sphingomyelinases reversed TNFa-induced atrophy. Moreover, an accumulation of ceramide and sphingosine induced pro-atrophic effects, whereas sphingosine-1-phosphate had a protective effect. These observations establish that in C2C12 myotubes, ceramide or other downstream metabolites such as sphingosine, produced by the neutral sphingomyelinase pathway in response to TNFa stimulation, participate in cell atrophy. To evaluate the in vivo role of sphingolipids, we treated BalbC mice carrying C26 adenocarcinoma woth Myriocin, an inhibitor of the de novo pathway of ceramide synthesis, that is able to deplete muscle tissue in all sphingolipids, was administered daily to the animals. This treatment partially protected animals against tumor-induced loss of body weight and muscle weight, without affecting the size of tumors. Moreover, myriocin treatment significantly reversed the decrease in myofiber size associated with tumor development, and reduced the expression of atrogenes Foxo3 and Atrogin-1, showing that it was able to protect against muscle atrophy. These results strongly suggest that ceramide, or a downstream sphingolipid metabolite, is involved in tumor-induced muscle atrophy. The sphingolipid pathway thus appears as a new potential target of pharmacological interventions aiming at protecting muscle tissue against atrophy.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the association between mutations in GBA1 and risk of developing the ‘synucleinopathy’ disorders Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remain elusive. To better understand the precise molecular cascade that connects GBA1 mutations with α-synuclein dysregulation, a modified lipid extraction and HPTLC protocol was optimized to detect changes in levels of neutral sphingolipids (SLs) from neural cells and tissue expressing wild-type (WT) GBA1, mutant GBA1, or both. We demonstrate that mutant GBA1 does not confer a dominant-negative effect on WT GBA1-mediated activity; however, bona fide loss-of-enzymatic function mutation events led to the accumulation of lipid substrates in neural cells and tissue, and enhance α- synuclein/ubiquitin reactivity in brain tissue of mutant gba1 mice. Our HPLC-MS/MS data are consistent with other studies demonstrating that heterozygous GBA1 mutations do not lead to lipid accumulation, but may alter α-synuclein degradation through a yet-to-be defined novel gain-of-toxic function event.

A fumonisina B1 (FB1) e uma micotoxina produzida pelo metabolismo secundário de espécies de Fusarium, principalmente F. verticillioides e F. proliferatum, os quais contaminam diversos alimentos antes e apos o processamento, sobretudo o milho e derivados, gerando graves problemas para a Saúde Pública e a qualidade dos alimentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a exposição humana a FB1 presente nos alimentos através da estimativa de ingestão da toxina na dieta e da análise de diferentes biomarcadores presentes em amostras de sangue, urina e cabelo. Além disso, foram investigados os efeitos da toxina através da avaliação de ácido fólico presentes em alimentos e em soro, e os níveis de uréia e creatinina presentes em soro. O estudo foi realizado em dois municípios dos Estados de São Paulo e Santa Catarina, cujos respectivos voluntários foram categorizados como de baixo consumo de derivados de milho (Grupo A, voluntários de Pirassununga/SP) e de alto consumo de derivados de milho (Grupo B, voluntários de Erval Velho/SC). As amostras de alimentos do Grupo A (Pirassununga/SP) foram fornecidas pelos voluntários (n=100) nos meses de Junho/2011, Setembro/2011, Dezembro/2011 e Marco/2012. Os voluntários do Grupo B (Erval Velho/SC) (n=20) forneceram amostras de alimentos no mês de Abril/2012. Em cada grupo, uma lista com 20 alimentos a base de milho foi entregue aos voluntários, para fornecimento de amostras daqueles disponíveis em suas respectivas residências em cada mês de amostragem, totalizando 122 amostras de derivados de milho no Grupo A e 17 amostras no Grupo B coletadas durante o estudo. Adicionalmente, aplicou-se um Questionário de Frequência Alimentar (QFA) e um Inquérito Recordatório de 24 horas (QIR - 24 h) no momento das coletas de amostras. Em cada mês de amostragem de alimentos, foram coletadas amostras de sangue, urina (somente Grupo A) e cabelo dos voluntários, sendo as amostras armazenadas a -20ºC (urina e cabelo) ou -80ºC (sangue) até o momento das análises. As amostras de alimentos foram submetidas a análise de FB1, sendo que as de farinha de milho foram também analisadas quanto ao teor de ácido fólico. Ambas as análises foram feitas através de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE). Em soro, foram avaliadas a relação esfinganina/esfingosina (Sa/So), resíduos de FB1, ácido fólico, uréia e creatinina. Em urina, foram analisados os níveis de FB1, creatinina para correção do volume urinário e a relação Sa/So. Em cabelo, foram analisados os resíduos de FB1 através de CLAE acoplada a espectrometria de massas. Todos os métodos de análise foram submetidos a procedimento de otimização e validação intra--laboratorial. A incidência de FB1 nos alimentos foi, em média, 72% (n=122) nas amostras do Grupo A (Pirassununga/SP) e 35% (n=17) no Grupo B (Erval Velho/SC). Os maiores níveis foram encontrados em amostras de pipoca provenientes do Grupo B, com uma amostra excedendo o limite de tolerância estabelecido no Brasil (2,500 &micro;g kg-1). A ingestão diária provável média (IDPM) de FB1 no Grupo A foi de 63,3 ng kg-1 peso corpóreo (p.c.) dia-1, que corresponde a 3,1% da ingestão provisória máxima tolerável (IPMT) recomendada para fumonisinas (2.000 ng kg-1 p.c. dia-1). A IDPM do Grupo B apresentou uma média de 190,1 ng kg-1 p.c. dia-1 o que corresponde a 9,5% da IDMT. As concentrações de ácido fólico nas amostras de farinha de milho variaram de < 0,3 &micro;g kg-1 (limite de quantificação do método) a 1.705 &micro;g kg-1, com média de 713 &plusmn; 435 &micro;g kg-1. Somente uma amostra apresentou nível de ácido fólico acima do valor mínimo estabelecido pela ANVISA. Em urina, a incidência de FB1 foi de 33,4% (n=251), com níveis médios de 3,19 &plusmn; 3,15 ng mg-1 de creatinina. Não houve correlação (P&gt;0,05) entre as concentrações de FB1 na urina e nos alimentos. Os níveis de esfinganina foram mais elevados em mulheres, com 25,0% (n=116) de amostras positivas, em comparação à urina de homens, 10,4% (n=96). A relação Sa/So apresentou em média 0,91, 0,77 e 0,89 para urina de mulheres, homens e em combinação, respectivamente. Em soro, os níveis de esfingosina foram em média 2,48 ng mL-1 para o Grupo A e 5,01 ng mL-1 para o Grupo B. A relação Sa/So variou de 0,06 a 3,19 com média de 0,79 para o Grupo A e 0,78 para o Grupo B. Embora tenha havido correlação positiva (r=0,574, P&lt;0,05) entre a relação Sa/So no soro e os dados de consumo de milho e derivados obtidos no QIR-24 h, não foram observadas correlações (P&gt;0,05) entre a ingestão de FB1 e a relação Sa/So na urina ou soro. A concentração de ácido fólico no soro variou de 6,7 a 24,0 ng mL-1 (média de 13,4 &plusmn; 5,4 ng mL-1), com ambos os grupos (A e B) apresentando resultados dentro dos valores de referências. Não foram observados níveis detectáveis de FB1 nas amostras de soro. No entanto, FB1 foi detectada em 4 amostras de cabelo humano (7,2%) dos Grupos A e B, cuja concentração média foi de 21,3 &plusmn; 12,1 ng g-1. Em síntese, os resultados obtidos nas análises de biomarcadores de FB1 no presente trabalho estão de acordo com os valores de IDPM encontrados, indicando que a exposição a FB1 nas populações estudadas não representa um risco a saúde. / Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by the secondary metabolism of Fusarium species, mainly F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum, which contaminates foods before and after processing and causes serious problems to public health and food quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the human exposure to FB1 in food by means of estimated intake of toxin in the diet, and analysis of different biomarkers in serum, urine and hair. In addition, folic acid in food and blood as well urea and creatinin in serum were investigated to evaluate the toxin effects. The study was conducted in two cities of Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina States, where the respective volunteers were categorized as low-consumers of corn products (Group A, volunteers from Pirassununga/SP) and high-consumers of corn products (Group B, volunteers from Erval Velho/SC). Food samples from Group A (Pirassununga/SP) were provided by volunteers (n=100) in June/2011, September/2011, December/2011 and March/2012. The volunteers from Group B (Erval Velho/SC) (n=20) provided food samples in April/2012. In each group, a list of 20 corn products was given to volunteers, to allow them to check and collect the food items available in their homes at each sampling time. The total number of samples of corn products provided by the volunteers were 122 and 17 in Group A and Group B, respectively. Addicionally, a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24-Hours Dietary Recall Questionnaire (24h-DRQ) were applied by the time of sample collections. In each month of food samples collection, samples of blood, urine (only Group A) and hair from the volunteers were collected and storage at -20ºC (urine and hair) or -80ºC (blood) until analysis. Food samples were submitted to determination of FB1, and corn meal samples were also evaluated for folic acid levels. Both analysis were performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In serum, analyses included sphinganine/sphingosine ratio (Sa/So), FB1 residue, folic acid, urea and creatinine. In urine, the levels of FB1, creatinine to correct urinary volume and Sa/So ratio were evaluated. In hair, FB1 residues were analysed by HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry. All the analytical methods were submitted to optimization and intra-laboratorial validation procedures. The mean incidences of FB1 in corn products were 72% (n=122) in samples of Group A (Pirassununga/SP), and 35% (n=17) of Group B (Erval Velho/SC). The higher levels were found in popcorn from Group B, with one sample exceeding the tolerance limit established in Brazil (2,500 &micro;g kg-1). The mean probable daily intake (PDIM) of FB1 in Group A was 63.3 ng kg-1 body weigh (b.w.) day-1, which corresponds to 3.1% of provisional maximum tolerable intake (PMTDI) recommended for fumonisins (2,000 ng kg-1 b.w. day-1). PDIM of Group B was 190.1 ng kg-1 b.w. day-1, which represents 9.5% of PMTDI. Folic acid levels in corn meal ranged from &LT; 0,3 &micro;g kg-1 (quantification limit) to 1.705 &micro;g kg-1, with a mean of 713 &plusmn; 435 &micro;g kg-1. Only one sample had levels of folic acid above the minimum established by ANVISA. In urine, the incidence of FB1 was 33,4% (n=251), at mean levels of 3,19 &plusmn; 3,15 ng mg-1 of creatinine. There wasn\'t correlation (P&gt;0.05) between concentrations of FB1 in urine and foods. Sphinganine levels were higher in woman, with 25.0% (n=116) of positive samples in comparison to urine of men, 10.4% (n=96). The mean Sa/So ratios were 0.91, 0.77 and 0.89 for urine of women, men and in combination, respectively. In serum, sphingosine presented a mean of 2.48 ng mL-1 to Group A and 5.01 ng mL-1 to Group B. Sa/So ratio ranged from 0.06 to 3.19 with a mean of 0.79 to Group A and 0.78 to Group B. Although a positive correlation (r=0.574, P&lt;0.05) was found between Sa/So ratio in serum and corn consumption data obtained by 24h-DRQ, no correlation was observed (P&gt;0,05) with FB1 intake and Sa/So ratio in urine or serum. Folic acid concentration in serum ranged from 6.7 to 24.0 ng mL-1 (mean of 13.4 &plusmn; 5.4 ng mL-1), with both groups (A and B) presenting levels within the reference valuies. There were no detectable levels of FB1 in serum samples. However, FB1 was detected in 4 human hair samples (7.2%) of Groups A and B, at a mean concentration was 21.3 &plusmn; 12.1 ng g-1. In summary, the results obtained in the analyses of FB1 biomarkers in the present study are in agreement with the PDIM values found, hence indicating that FB1 exposure in the populations studied do not represent a health concern.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the association between mutations in GBA1 and risk of developing the ‘synucleinopathy’ disorders Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remain elusive. To better understand the precise molecular cascade that connects GBA1 mutations with α-synuclein dysregulation, a modified lipid extraction and HPTLC protocol was optimized to detect changes in levels of neutral sphingolipids (SLs) from neural cells and tissue expressing wild-type (WT) GBA1, mutant GBA1, or both. We demonstrate that mutant GBA1 does not confer a dominant-negative effect on WT GBA1-mediated activity; however, bona fide loss-of-enzymatic function mutation events led to the accumulation of lipid substrates in neural cells and tissue, and enhance α- synuclein/ubiquitin reactivity in brain tissue of mutant gba1 mice. Our HPLC-MS/MS data are consistent with other studies demonstrating that heterozygous GBA1 mutations do not lead to lipid accumulation, but may alter α-synuclein degradation through a yet-to-be defined novel gain-of-toxic function event.

No description available.