title: Description of the sphingolipid content and subspecies in the diabetic cornea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Long term complications include but not limited heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and ocular damage. An estimated 382 million people are diagnosed with Type 2 DM accounting for 90% of the cases. Common corneal dysfunctions associated with DM result in impaired vision due to decreased wound healing, corneal edema, and altered epithelial basement membrane. Lipids play a fundamental role in tissue metabolism and disease states. We attempt to determine the role of sphingolipids (SPL) in human Type I and Type II diabetic corneas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cadaver corneas from healthy (non-diabetic/no ocular trauma), Type I (T1DM), and Type II diabetic (T2DM) donors were obtained and processed for lipidomics using LC-MS/MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data show significant differences in the SPL composition between control, T1DM and T2DM corneas. Both T1DM and T2DM showed a 10-folddownregulation of sphingomyelin(SM), 5-fold up regulation of Ceramides (Cer) and 2-fold upregulation of monohexosylceramides (MHC). Differences were also seen in total amounts of SPL where Cer was increased by approximately 3 fold in both T1DM and T2DM where SM decreased by 50% in both T1DM and T2DM when compared to healthy controls. No differences were seen in MHC amounts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, our data indicate major differences in SPL distribution in human diabetic corneas. Information on the sphingolipids role in cornea, corneal cell physiology, and diseases are very limitedwhich highlights the importance of these findings.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA .
authors.forename: Shrestha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Priyadarsini
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA .
authors.forename: Akhee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarker-Nag
authors.affiliation: b Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center , Richmond , VA , USA .|c Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA .|d The VCU Johnson Center , Richmond , VA , USA .|e The VCU Massey Cancer Center , Richmond , VA , USA and.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allegood
authors.affiliation: b Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center , Richmond , VA , USA .|c Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA .|d The VCU Johnson Center , Richmond , VA , USA .|e The VCU Massey Cancer Center , Richmond , VA , USA and.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chalfant
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA .|f Department of Cell Biology , University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karamichos
mesh_terms: D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D002554:Cerebrosides / Q000378:metabolism; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014019:Tissue Donors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D002554:Cerebrosides; D013107:Sphingolipids; D013109:Sphingomyelins; C013870:ceramide monohexoside
keywords: Cornea; diabetes; lipidomics; sphingolipids