Advanced Shotgun Lipidomics for Characterization of Altered Lipid Patterns in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Brain Injury.

Multi-dimensional mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics (MDMS-SL) is a powerful technology platform among current lipidomics practices due to its high efficiency, sensitivity, and reproducibility, as well as its broad coverage. This platform has been widely used to determine the altered lipid profiles induced by diseases, injury, genetic manipulations, drug treatments, and aging, among others. Herein, we summarize the principles underlying this platform and present a protocol for analysis of many of the lipid classes and subclasses covered by MDMS-SL directly from lipid extracts of brain samples. We believe that this protocol can aid researchers in the field to determine altered lipid patterns in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury.