Mass spectrometry-based determination of lipids and small molecules composing adipose tissue with a focus on brown adipose tissue

Abstract

Adipose tissue has been the subject of research for a very long time. Many studies perform a comprehensive analysis of different types of adipose tissue with an emphasis on brown adipose tissue. Mass spectrometry-based approaches are particularly useful in the exploration not only of the metabolic composition of adipose tissue but also its function. In the presented review, a complex and critical overview of publications devoted to the analysis of adipose tissue by means of mass spectrometry was performed. Detailed investigation of analytical aspects related to either untargeted or targeted analysis of adipose tissue was performed, leading to the formation of a collection of hints at the available analytical methods. Moreover, a profound analysis of the metabolic composition of brown adipose tissue was performed. Brown adipose tissue metabolome was characterized on structural and functional levels, providing information about its exact metabolic composition but also connecting these molecules and placing them into biochemical pathways. All our work resulted in a very broad picture of the analysis of adipose tissue, starting from the analytical aspects and finishing on the current knowledge about its composition.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; Brown adipose tissue; Mass spectrometry-based analysis; Metabolic composition of BAT; Targeted analysis; Untargeted analysis.