Untargeted lipidomic analysis of primary human epidermal melanocytes acutely and chronically exposed to UV radiation

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in sunlight has been related to harmful effects on skin such as premature aging and skin cancer. In order to study the effects of UV radiation on skin, many investigations have been carried out at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. However, studies on the effects of UV radiation on lipid composition are scarce. In this work, primary cultures of melanocytes were exposed to UV radiation in a similar UVA/UVB ratio to that found in solar light. The UV exposure was carried out twice a week and different endpoints were investigated at 0.5 (acute exposure), 1.5 and 3 weeks. As a result, dendrite formation and a progressive reduction in cell viability were observed. Also, cell cycle arrest and a reduced E-cadherin content were detected at 0.5 and 1.5 weeks. In the second stage of the study, lipid extracts of melanocytes were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and subjected to an untargeted lipidomic approach using the ROIMCR chemometric method. Among the most important changes observed under UV irradiation, lipid raft components such as sphingomyelins and GM3 gangliosides as well as other signalling molecules such as phosphatidylinositols decreased progressively with time. These modifications indicated strong effects on important functions such as cell signalling and recognition. In contrast, triacylglycerol species, associated with energy storage, increased progressively, which could be interpreted as a survival mechanism under adverse conditions. Further studies are needed to better understand the functional implications of the changes observed.