Changes in plasma phospholipids and sphingomyelins with aging in men and women: A comprehensive systematic review of longitudinal cohort studies

BackgroundAging affects the serum levels of various metabolites which may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. The aim of this review article is to summarize the relationship between aging and alterations in the plasma phospholipids and sphingomyelins.MethodsPRISMA guidelines were employed during all steps. MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase and Web of Sciences databases and Google Scholar were searched up to October 2020. Cohort studies investigating the relationship between aging and within-person changes in sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidyl choline (PC), lyso PC (LPC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) were included. Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of included studies.ResultsA total of 1425 studies were identified. After removing 610 duplicates and 723 irrelevant studies, full texts of 92 articles were evaluated. Of these 92, 6 studies (including data from 7 independent cohorts) met the inclusion criteria and are included in this review. All study populations were healthy and included both men and women. Results by sex were reported in 3 cohorts for PC, 5 cohorts for LPC, 3 cohorts for SM, and only 1 cohort for PE. In men, PC, SM, PE and LPC decreased with aging, although results for LPC were inconsistent. In women, LPC, SM, and PE increased age, whereas changes in PC were inconsistent.ConclusionWithin-person serum levels of phospholipids and sphingomyelins, decrease during aging in men and increase in women. Notably, however, there were some inconsistencies across studies of LPC in men and of PC in women.     

The composition of chlorinated or oxidized phosphatidylcholine products changes with hypochlorite concentration: Application to abscess lipid analysis

Hypochlorous acid, produced by myeloperoxidase upon neutrophil activation, can oxidize various compounds and exert antimicrobial activity in vivo. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the reactions of the unsaturated phosphatidylcholines, which abound in cell membranes, with hypochlorous acid, we identified and examined phosphatidylcholine chlorination and oxidation products formed under various reaction conditions. We first investigated the products of unsaturated phosphatidylcholine and hypochlorous acid reaction with respect to hypochlorite concentration and reaction time. Next, we examined the lipids extracted postmortem from human abscesses. For all the analyses, we used liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Various compounds, including phosphatidylcholine chlorohydrin and phosphatidylcholine hydroxide/epoxide, were detected. Oxidized phosphatidylcholines were mainly detectable upon reaction with low concentrations of sodium hypochlorite, whereas chlorinated phosphatidylcholines formed in the presence of higher concentrations. In human abscesses, oxidized phosphatidylcholines were detected in the cases with high procalcitonin concentration, whereas chlorinated phosphatidylcholines were undetected. The detections of oxidized phosphatidylcholines in human tissues might indicate previous exposure to hypochlorous acid in septic cases. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms underlying pathogen survival following inflammation associated with neutrophil activation and topical myeloperoxidase release and show postmortem biomarkers candidates for sepsis.     

磷脂酰胆碱拮抗自由基致小鼠微核作用的研究

应用小鼠周血正染红细胞(NCE)微核实验,评价臭氧产生的自由基对细胞遗传毒理效应及其磷脂酰胆碱对其遗传的损伤的保护作用.实验结果显示:臭氧可使小鼠NCE微核率明显增高,经统计学处理有显著性差异(P<0.01)而磷脂酰胆碱对自由基诱导微核作用有明显的抑制.提示:磷脂酰胆碱具有拮抗自由基造成的DNA氧化损伤作用.     

Hepatic microsomal phospholipids in rats exposed intratracheally to coal fly ash

The effects of intratracheal administration of fly ash (50 mg/kg body weight, daily for 7 days) on hepatic microsomal phospholipid metabolism has been studied in rats using various phospholipid precursors, viz NaH₂ ³²PO₄, (methyl-¹⁴C)-choline, and (methyl-¹⁴C)-methionine. Fly ash administration significantly increased microsomal phosphatidylcholine (PC), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). The incorporation of NaH₂ ³²PO₄ into total liver phospholipids, PC and Phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) was significantly increased in fly ash-treated rats as compared to the control. Fly ash administration also increased the incorporation of (methyl-¹⁴C)-choline into microsomal PC. Incorporation of (methyl-¹⁴C)-methionine into microsomal PC was not affected. Fly ash administration decreased the per cent distribution of arachidonic acid in PC and PE and increased that of oleic acid in PC and of linoleic acid in PE.     

The different fatty acid composition of lecithins in the sacroplasmic reticulum vesicles and the membranes of adrenal chromaffin granules

Summary Calcium transporting membranes of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and amine transporting membranes of chromaffin granules (AG) isolated from different animal species (ox, rabbit and rat) show similar values for their phospholipid phases (0.5 mole phospholipids/mg protein). The AG-membranes, however, contain higher lysolecithin (LPC) (10–11%) than the SR-membranes (2–6%).In both types of membrane a characteristic distribution of fatty acids was found in the phosphatidylcholine (PC) fraction. In SR-membranes 18-carbon fatty acids are present in increasing order of unsaturation (18:0<18:1<18:2) and in AG-membranes in decreasing order (18:0>18:1>18:2).The fatty acid composition of PCs specific of each membrane seems to be dependent on the presence of different endogenous lysolecithins and suggest a fatty acid turnover in both positions of the PC by the de-and re-acylation cycle.The importance in membrane function with regard to the Ca²⁺transport of SR and the amine transport of AG membranes as related to the typical lipid phase is discussed.This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bad Godesberg.     

A novel method for direct application of phospholipids to giant excised membrane patches in the study of sodium-calcium exchange and sodium channel currents

Effects of membrane phospholipids on Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchange and Na⁺ channel currents were studied in giant excised cardiac sarcolemmal patches. Phospholipids were suspended in an inert vehicle of -tocopherol acetate and hexane and were then directly applied to the side of patch electrodes at a short distance from the tip during current recording. Phosphatidylserine strongly stimulated outward Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchange current and altered the kinetics of cytoplasmic Na⁺- and Ca²⁺-dependent secondary modulation. This effect was partially reversed by phosphatidylcholine. Prolonged treatment with phosphatidylserine eliminated the inactivation transient normally observed upon rapid application of cytoplasmic Na⁺ but left cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ dependence largely intact. In such cases, subsequent chymotrypsin treatment removed cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ dependence, but had no further stimulatory effect, indicating maximum alleviation of inactivation by phosphatidylserine. While these results indicate that phosphatidylserine acts on a cytoplasmic, protease-sensitive regulatory domain of the exchanger, phosphatidylserine also stimulated the exchange current after deregulation by chymotrypsin, indicating an effect on the exchange mechanism itself. As in other myocyte preparations, cardiac Na⁺ currents in giant patches undergo a time-dependent negative shift in the voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation. Loss of phosphatidylserine from the cytoplasmic leaflet (i.e. loss of transbilayer asymmetry of phosphatidylserine distribution) does not appear to be the underlying cause, since phosphatidylserine did not reverse this shift, despite stimulation of Na⁺-Ca²⁺ exchange current in the same patches.     

Protective effects of phosphatidylcholine against mechanisms of ischemia and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in isolated guinea pig ventricular tissues

Summary The effects of exogenous phosphatidylcholine (PC) on some potential mechanisms of ischemia and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias were tested using the superfused right ventricular free wall of the guinea pig. Exposure of the preparation to simulated ischemia (hypoxia, acidosis, glucose deprivation and hyperkalemia) resulted in several electrophysiological derangements, including a marked depolarization of the maximum diastolic potential (MDP) in both endocardium and epicardium, shortening of the action potential duration (APD), and prolongation of the transmural conduction time followed by transmural conduction block. In a few preparations, coupled beats were also observed. Reperfusion was associated with arrhythmic activity in all preparations. Both the characteristics and the severity of reperfusion-associated arrhythmias were dependent upon the duration of the preceding ischemia. In hearts exposed to ischemic conditions for 40 min, transmural conduction block persisted until 45 min of reperfusion and no electrical activity was present in the epicardium during this time. However, both coupled beats as well as abnormal automaticity were observed in the endocardium. When the period of ischemia was reduced to 20 min, recovery from transmural conduction block occurred sooner and coupled beats and abnormal automaticity were detected in both epicardial and endocardial layers. Superfusion with PC during both ischemia and reperfusion (PC1 group), or during reperfusion only (PC2 group), significantly altered the response of the preparations to reperfusion. Following 40 min ischemia, preparations treated with PC recovered from transmural conduction block more rapidly (PC1 group, 4 min, P < 0.05; PC2 group, 23 min, ns), compared to control. In addition, both PC treated groups exhibited improved recovery of MDP in the epicardium early in reperfusion. Neither PC treatment altered the incidence of coupled beats but reperfusion-associated abnormal automaticity was abolished in both groups. In preparations exposed to 20 min of ischemia, PC reduced the duration of coupled beats from 5 ± 2 min in the control to 1 ± 0 min in both PC treated groups (P < 0.05). In addition, PC treatment decreased the incidence of abnormal automaticity from 7/10 in control preparations to 1/10 in both treated groups (P < 0.05). Severe ventricular tachycardia was observed in 3/10 control preparations, whereas it was completely absent in the PC treated groups. The present study demonstrates that exogenous PC can antagonize three important cellular mechanisms which may underlie reperfusion arrhythmias: transmural conduction block, coupled beats and abnormal automaticity.Abbreviations APD action potential duration - MDP maximum diastolic potential - PC phosphatidylcholine - PC1 PC included during both ischemia and reperfusion - P2 PC included during reperfusion only Send offprint requests to M. P. Moffat at the above address     

1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine improves cognitive decline by enhancing long-term depression

1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPhtCho) (1 μM) enhanced long-term depression (LTD), a synaptic plasticity relevant to learning and memory, in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices, where expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit GluR1 on the plasma membrane was decreased. In the water maze test, oral administration with POPhtCho (5 mg/kg) significantly shortened the prolonged retention latency for rats intraperitoneally injected with scopolamine (1 mg/kg), while the acquisition latency was not affected. For humans with mild cognitive impairment and dementia (average of Mini Mental State Examination score, 18), oral intake with POPhtCho (300 mg/day, once after breakfast) everyday raised the score to over 20, corresponding to normal cognitive functions, throughout 6 months after intake. The results of the present study, thus, indicate that POPhtCho could ameliorate cognitive disorders, possibly by enhancing LTD.     

Inverse relations of serum phosphatidylcholines and lysophosphatidylcholines with vascular damage and heart rate in patients with atherosclerosis

Background and aims

The rapidly growing discipline of lipidomics allows the study of a wide spectrum of lipid species in body fluids and provides new insights into the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. We investigated serum phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) species in relation to arterial stiffness, hemodynamics, and endothelial dysfunction in symptomatic patients with atherosclerosis and in healthy controls.

水飞蓟宾葡甲胺联合多烯磷脂酰胆碱治疗脂肪肝的临床研究

目的观察水飞蓟宾葡甲胺联合多烯磷脂酰胆碱治疗脂肪肝的临床疗效和安全性。方法选取苏州市立医院2013年6月—2014年6月收治的脂肪肝患者150例,随机分为对照组(74例)和治疗组(76例)。对照组患者口服还原型谷胱甘肽片,4片/次,3次/d,同时口服多烯磷脂酰胆碱胶囊,2粒/次,3次/d。治疗组口服水飞蓟宾葡甲胺片,2片/次,3次/d,多烯磷脂酰胆碱胶囊的用法用量同对照组。两组均连续治疗8周。比较两组的临床疗效,同时比较两组治疗前后血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、三酰甘油(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、CT影像学变化、声触诊组织定量(VTQ)值的变化。结果对照组和治疗组总有效率分别为82.43%、93.42%,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者血清ALT、AST、TC、TG、VTQ值均较治疗前显著降低,同组治疗前后差异有统计学意义(P0.05);且治疗组的改善程度优于对照组,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者CT影像显示脂肪肝情况均得到较好的治疗。治疗组轻度及以下脂肪肝比例显著高于对照组,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)结论水飞蓟宾葡甲胺结合多烯磷脂酰胆碱治疗脂肪肝患者具有较好的临床疗效,可有效改善患者肝功能与肝内脂肪沉积,值得在临床推广应用。