Metabolic phenotyping of human atherosclerotic plaques: Metabolic alterations and their biological relevance in plaque-containing aorta

Background and aims Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by thickening of the arterial wall. However, a limited number of studies have been conducted on metabolic profiling of human aortic tissue. Methods We applied liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to perform global and targeted profiling of plaque-containing aortic tissue. The aorta samples included plaque-containing (n = 18) and control plaque-free (n = 24) aortic tissue from patients undergoing aortic surgery. Results The metabolic patterns of atherosclerotic and control vessels were significantly different. Metabolites in the purine and glutathione pathways showed dysregulation of oxidative stress in plaques, and levels of glucosylceramide, tryptophan, and kynurenine, which are related to inflammation, were also altered. Interestingly, an increased level of quinic acid was observed in plaques (p < 0.000), and we demonstrated an inhibitory effect of quinic acid on inflammatory activation and oxidative stress in macrophages. Conclusions Our study provides insight into the disease mechanism and potential markers of atherosclerosis through comprehensive metabolic profiling of human aortic tissue samples containing plaque.