Global lipidomics identifies cardiolipin oxidation as a mitochondrial target for redox therapy of acute brain injury

Brain contains a highly diversified complement of molecular species of a mitochondria-specific phospholipid, cardiolipin (CL), which - due to its polyunsaturation - can readily undergo oxygenation. Here, we used global lipidomics analysis in experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) and showed that TBI was accompanied by oxidative consumption of polyunsaturated CL and accumulation of more than 150 new oxygenated molecular species in CL. RNAi-based manipulations of CL-synthase and CL levels conferred resistance of primary rat cortical neurons to mechanical stretch - an in vitro model of traumatic neuronal injury. By applying the novel brain permeable mitochondria-targeted electron-scavenger, we prevented CL oxygenation in the brain, achieved a substantial reduction in neuronal death both in vitro and in vivo, and markedly reduced behavioral deficits and cortical lesion volume. We conclude that CL oxygenation generates neuronal death signals and that its prevention by mitochondria-targeted small molecule inhibitors represents a new target for neuro-drug discovery.