Metabolomics Reveals Altered Lipid Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common chronic estrogen-dependent gynecological disease affecting 10% of women in their reproductive age. It is characterized by proliferation of functional endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. In the present study, we used mass spectrometry-based lipidomics to investigate the alterations in serum lipid profiles of mice induced with endometriosis. We identified several dysregulated lipids such as phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, phosphatidyl­ethanolamines, and triglycerides and show that triglycerides may be due to a general inflammatory condition in the peritoneum. We also show that in addition to phosphatidylcholine alteration, there is also an effect in the ratio of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidyl­ethanolamine in serum of mice induced with the disease and that this change may be due to increased expression of the phosphatidyl­ethanolamine <i>N</i>-methyltransferase gene. The study provides new insight into the etiology of endometriosis