Showing papers in "Lipids in 1987"

The kinetics of the autoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abstract: The kinetics of the autoxidation of a series of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with increasing degrees of unsaturation and the mono-, di- and triglycerides of linoleate have been studied in homogeneous chlorobenzene solution at 37 C under 760 torr of oxygen. The autoxidations were initiated by thermal decomposition of azo initiators and followed by measuring the rate of oxygen uptake. The rate of chain initiation was determined by the induction period method using alpha-tocopherol as the chain-breaking antioxidant. The measured oxidizabilities of the PUFA are linearly dependent on the number of doubly allylic positions present in the molecule. Thus, the oxidizability of linoleate is 2.03 X 10(-2) M-1/2 sec-1/2, and the value for docosahexaenoate is five times greater, 10.15 X 10(-2) M-1/2 sec-1/2. The rate of autoxidation for all PUFA studied and for the mono- and diglyceride is proportional to the substrate concentration and to the square root of the rate of chain initiation, implying that the autoxidation of these compounds follows the usual kinetic rate law. The autoxidation of the triglyceride is more complex and does not appear to follow the same rate law at all substrate concentrations. This deviation from the usual kinetic rate expression may be due to lipid aggregation at low concentrations of the triglyceride.

Medium chain triglycerides and structured lipids.

Abstract: Lipids are an essential component of our body composition and necessary in our daily food intake. Conventional fats and oils are composed of glycerides of long chain fatty acids and are designated as long chain triglycerides (LCT). Body fat as well as the fats and oils in our daily intake fall into this category. In enteral and parenteral hyperalimentation, we can identify such LCT fats and oils. Soy, corn, safflower and sunflowerseed oils are typical of the LCT oils. In the search for alternative noncarbohydrate fuels, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are unique and have established themselves in the areas of malabsorption syndrome cases and infant care and as a high energy, rapidly available fuel. Structure lipids with a MCT backbone and linoleic acid built into the triglyceride molecule have been developed to optimize the triglyceride structure that is best for patients, particularly the critically ill. Structured lipids with built-in essential fatty acid components or other polyunsaturated fatty acids promise greater flexibility in patient care and nitrogen support.

Biokinetics of and discrimination between dietaryRRR- andSRR-α-tocopherols in the male rat

Abstract: The net rates of uptake of the natural (2R,4'R,8'R) diastereoisomer of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) and the biodiscrimination relative to its 2S-epimer (2S,4'R,8'R) have been measured, in two experiments, for the blood and 21 tissues of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed over a period of several months diets containing deuterium-substituted forms of the alpha-T acetates. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the amount of deuterated tocopherols taken up relative to the amount of nondeuterated tocopherol remaining. The measurements were performed at different times after the rats, placed for one month on a basal diet containing nondeuterated, natural alpha-T acetate, were switched to a diet containing the same total quantity of deuterated forms of either natural alpha-T acetate or a mixture of the acetates of the 2R- and 2S-epimers (i.e., ambo-alpha-T acetate). In experiment 1 the source of vitamin E in the replacement diet was trideuterio-2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-T acetate. The data obtained provide the first direct measure of the rate at which natural vitamin E is replaced and augmented in the tissues of growing animals under normal laboratory dietary conditions. There are dramatic differences in the tissue kinetics; for example, the apparent half-life of vitamin E, i.e., the time at which the total amount of ingested trideuterio-alpha-T taken up is the same as the amount of nondeuterated alpha-T remaining, varies from ca. 1 wk for the lung to ca. 11 wk for the spinal cord. In experiment 2 the vitamin E in the replacement diet was an equimolar mixture of trideuterio-2S,4'R,8'R- and hexadeuterio-2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-T acetates. The results show that there is a preferential uptake of the natural diastereoisomer of alpha-T by all tissues (except the liver during the first month). Examination of fecal material reveals that the biodiscrimination begins in the gut; the incomplete hydrolysis of the acetates shows clearly that this reaction proceeds to a greater extent with the natural diastereoisomer. The greatest discrimination of all the tissues examined was found to occur in the brain. After five months, the level of the deuterated natural diastereoisomer was more than five times that of the deuterated 2S-epimer. These results have potential implications for human nutrition.

Enteral absorption in man of eicosapentaenoic acid in different chemical forms

Abstract: After administering the equivalent of 1 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in four different chemical forms, the kinetics of EPA incorporation into plasma triglycerides (TG) were compared by gas liquid chromatography on a capillary column following separation of the lipid fraction by thin layer chromatography. EPA incorporation into plasma TG was markedly smaller and later when EPA was administered as an ethyl ester rather than as EPA free fatty acid, EPA arginine salt or 1,3-dioctanoyl-2-eicosapentaenoyl glycerol (2-EPA). Our results and the data in the literature are compatible with the hypothesis that 2-EPA is absorbed with minimum hydrolysis and escapes random distribution between the other positions of the glycerol molecule during the absorption process.

Measurement of lipid peroxidation in vivo: a comparison of different procedures.

Abstract: A study was undertaken to investigate whether some of the methods commonly used to detect lipid peroxidation of cellular membranes in vivo correlate with each other. The study was performed with the livers of bromobenzene-intoxicated mice, in which lipid peroxidation develops when the depletion of glutathione (GSH) reaches a threshold value. The methods tested and compared were the following: i) measurement of the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of the liver; ii) detection of diene conjugation absorption in liver phospholipids; iii) measurement of the loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids in liver phospholipids; and iv) determination of carbonyl functions formed in acyl residues of membrane phospholipids as a result of the peroxidative breakdown of phospholipid fatty acids. Correlations among the values obtained with these methods showed high statistical significances, indicating that the procedures measure lipid peroxidation in vivo with comparable reliability. Analogously, the four methods appeared also to correlate when applied to in vitro microsomal lipid peroxidation.

FAB MS/MS for phosphatidylinostitol,-glycerol,-ethanolamine and other complex phospholipids

Abstract: Fast atom bombardment (FAB) of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol produces a limited number of very informative negative ions. Especially significant is the formation of (M−H)− ions and ions that correspond to the carboxylate portions of these molecules. FAB desorption in combination with collisional activation allows for characterization of fragmentation and determination of structural features. Collisional activation of the carboxylate anion from complex lipids is especially informative. Structural characterization of the fatty acids can be achieved as the released saturated carboxylate anions undergo highly specific charge remote fragmentations that are entirely consistent with the chemistry of carboxylate anions desorbed from free fatty acids. This permits both identification of the modification and assignment of its location on the acid chain. FAB-desorbed alkyl acetyl glycerophosphocholines (platelet-activating factor) do not produce (M−H)− ions. However, significant high mass ions are formed, and these can be collisionally activated for structural characterization.

Effect of age and dietary fat (fish, corn and coconut oils) on tocopherol status of C57BL/6Nia mice.

Abstract: The effect of age and dietary fat type on tocopherol status was investigated using young and old C57BL/6Nia mice fed semipurified diets containing 5% (by weight) fish, corn or coconut oils and supplemented with 30, 100 or 500 ppm dl-α-tocopheryl acetate for 6 wk. Tocopherol levels in the diets, plasma, liver, kidney and lung were measured by high performance liquid chromatography following appropriate extractions. The results indicate that mice fed fish oil maintain lower plasma and tissue tocopherol concentrations than those fed corn and cononut oils (fish

Cholesterol autoxidation in phospholipid membrane bilayers

Abstract: Lipid peroxidation in unilamellar liposomes of known cholesterol-phospholipid composition was monitored under conditions of autoxidation or as induced by a superoxide radical generating system, gamma-irradiation or cumene hydroperoxide. Formation of cholesterol oxidation products was indexed to the level of lipid peroxidation. The major cholesterol oxidation products identified were 7-keto-cholesterol, isomeric cholesterol 5,6-epoxides, isomeric 7-hydroperoxides and isomeric 3,7-cholestane diols. Other commonly encountered products included 3,5-cholestadiene-7-one and cholestane-3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta-triol. Superoxide-dependent peroxidation required iron and produced a gradual increase in 7-keto-cholesterol and cholesterol epoxides. Cholesterol oxidation was greatest in liposomes containing high proportions of unsaturated phospholipid to cholesterol (4:1 molar ratio), intermediate with low phospholipid to cholesterol ratios (2:1) and least in liposomes prepared with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. This relationship held regardless of the oxidizing conditions used. Cumene hydroperoxide-dependent lipid peroxidation and/or more prolonged oxidations with other oxidizing systems yielded a variety of products where cholesterol-5 beta,6 beta-epoxide, 7-ketocholesterol and the 7-hydroperoxides were most consistently elevated. Oxyradical initiation of lipid peroxidation produced a pattern of cholesterol oxidation products distinguishable from the pattern derived by cumene hydroperoxide-dependent peroxidation. Our findings indicate that cholesterol autoxidation in biological membranes is modeled by the peroxide-induced oxidation of liposomes bearing unsaturated fatty acids and suggest that a number of cholesterol oxidation products are derived from peroxide-dependent propagation reactions occurring in biomembranes.

Mass spectra of the picolinyl esters of isomeric mono- and dienoic fatty acids.

Abstract: The picolinyl ester derivatives of the complete series of isomeric octadecenoates, methylene-interrupted octadecadienoates, and of octadec-9-ynoate have been subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A fused-silica capillary column, coated with a cross-linked methyl silicone, was used for the separation. Electron impact spectra were determined at 70 eV. Earlier observations with a limited series of model compounds were confirmed, and it was shown that the picolinyl ester derivatives were of almost universal value in the location of double bonds in such isomers. Difficulties of interpretation arose mainly when the double bonds were close to the carboxyl group.

Effects on plasma lipids and fatty acid composition of very low fat diets enriched with fish or kangaroo meat

Abstract: The effects of very low fat diets (less than 7% energy) enriched with different sources of long chain (C20 and C22) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on plasma lipid levels and plasma fatty acid composition were studied in 13 healthy volunteers. Three diets provided 500 g/day of tropical Australian fish (rich in arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), southern Australian fish (rich in docosahexaenoic acid) or kangaroo meat (rich in linoleic and arachidonic acids). The fourth diet was vegetarian, similarly low in fat but containing no 20- and 22-carbon PUFA. Subjects ate their normal or usual diets on weeks 1 and 4 and the very low fat diets in weeks 2 and 3. Weighed food intake records were kept, and weeks 2, 3 and 4 were designed to be isoenergetic with week 1. Plasma cholesterol levels fell significantly on all diets within one week. There were reductions in both low density (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, with effects on HDL cholesterol being more consistent. There were no consistent or significant effects on total triglyceride levels despite the high carbohydrate content of the diets. On all diets the percentage of linoleic acid fell in the plasma phospholipid and cholesteryl ester fractions, while the percentage of palmitic acid in the phospholipids and cholesteryl esters and palmitoleic acid in the cholesteryl ester fraction rose on all diets. The percentage of arachidonic acid rose in the phospholipid and cholesteryl esters on the two diets that were good sources of this fatty acid (tropical fish and kangaroo meat).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Deconjugation of bile acids by human intestinal bacteria implanted in germ-free rats

Abstract: Fecal bile acids in germ-free rats were analyzed after inoculation withBacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium longum, Escherichia coli orClostridium ramosum. B. vulgatus preferentially deconjugated tauro-β-muricholic acid andB. longum taurocholic acid.C. ramosum deconjugated both bile acids, butE. coli deconjugated neither. 7α-Dehydroxylation of bile acids was negligible even after 18 days of inoculation, but a small amount of 7-oxo-bile acid, less than 5%, was formed. Fecal excretion of bile acids increased after inoculation withB. vulgatus, B. longum andC. ramosum, but not withE. coli.

Partial purification and characterization of free and immobilized lipases fromMucor miehei

Abstract: An extracellular lipase, a glycoprotein, produced by fermentation with a selected strain ofMucor miehei has been partially purified in two forms, A and B. The two forms have a high degree of antigenic identity and have similar pH-activity profiles with tributyroylglycerol as a substrate with optima at pH 7. They differ as follows: A, in contrast to B, requires activation at alkaline pH before analysis; A binds with concanavalin-A more completely than B; the net charges are slightly different at pH 8; and the isoelectric points are different. Our results indicate that the B lipase is formed by partial deglycosylation of the A lipase and that this influences the activity toward emulsions.In addition, the two enzymes have been immobilized by adsorption. These preparations and the soluble forms were highly specific for primary esters of triacylglycerols (TG); they usually hydrolyzed TG of 12∶0, 14∶0, 16∶0, and 18∶1 more rapidly than those of 4∶0, 6∶0, and 8∶0 and 10∶0 in mixtures of monoacid TG (4∶0 to 18∶1); and they were not stereospecific for TG. Immobilization altered the specificity of the preparations somewhat, in that slightly more 14∶0 and 16∶0 were released.

Measurement of free and bound malondialdehyde in vitamin E-deficient and -supplemented rat liver tissues.

Abstract: The quantity of free malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissues of rats fed vitamin E-deficient or -supplemented diets for 43 wk was measured by a newly developed high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. Bound MDA was quantified by the same HPLC method after alkaline hydrolysis of tissue homogenates. Tissues from vitamin E-deficient animals showed levels of free MDA about 15 times higher but levels of bound MDA less than 2 times higher than the vitamin E-supplemented animals. Free MDA is the major form in vitamin E-deficient tissues, but bound MDA is predominant in vitamin E-supplemented tissues. Conventional thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test results revealed that the content of TBA-reactive substances expressed in MDA equivalents was much higher than the actual free MDA levels in all groups. Results indicate that free MDA level measured by HPLC is a more sensitive index than the TBA value for lipid peroxidation. Some other TBA-reactive substances seem to exist in liver tissue regardless of the dietary treatment.

Effects of parenteral nutrition with high doses of linoleate on the developing human liver and brain

Abstract: The developmental changes in the fatty acid composition of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG) and choline phosphoglycerides (CPG) were studied in the liver and brain of 18 newborn infants with gestational ages ranging from 20 to 44 wk. A small group of five newborns receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with high doses of linoleic acid (18∶2ω6) was also studied and compared to controls of the same gestational age to look for effects on the developmental fatty acid patterns of liver and brain EPG and CPG. TPN with Intralipid 20% was given for 4–12 days, the total fat intake being 14.7–90 g (mean ±S.D.=47.1±29.8 g). The main developmental changes in the liver and brain of the control group were an increase in 22∶6ω3 (docosahexaenoic acid) at the end of gestation and a linear decrease in 20∶4ω6 (arachidonic acid) and 18∶1ω9 (oleic acid) in EPG and CPG. A very good correlation in the percent values of these fatty acids in the brain and liver tissues was obtained. Very significant changes in the fatty acid composition of liver EPG and CPG could be found in the infants receiving TPN with Intralipidmainly an increase in 18∶2ω6, a decrease in the linoleate elongation/desaturation to longer members of the series and a decrease in the 22∶6ω3 levels of liver EPG and CPG. In the brain, only an increase in the 18∶2ω6 value of CPG, not accompanied by any increase in the longer ω6 fatty acids, could be detected. Possible adverse effects of high doses of 18∶2ω6 on the tissue levels of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially of 22∶6ω3, are discussed.

Accumulation of an alkyl lysophospholipid in tumor cell membranes affects membrane fluidity and tumor cell invasion

Abstract: Tumor cells grown in the presence of 1-O-alkyl-2-O-methylglycero-3-phosphocholine (AMG-PC) accumulated this ether lipid in their membranes. Depending on the cell type and the dose of the compound, up to 17% of the total phospholipids of the purified plasma membranes consisted of authentic AMG-PC. Extensive incorporation of the agent resulted in a decrease in plasma membrane fluidity and inhibition of tumor cell invasiveness in embryonic chick heart fragments. The extent of AMG-PC incorporation and fluidity change was not strictly correlated with the degree to which tumor cell invasion was inhibited.

Response of urinary malondialdehyde to factors that stimulate lipid peroxidation in vivo

Abstract: Malondialdehyde (MDA) derivatives occur as normal constituents of rat and human urine. In a previous study, it was found that MDA excretion in rats is responsive to MDA intake and to certain factors that increase lipid peroxidation in vivo: vitamin E deficiency, iron administration and a high concentration of cod liver oil (CLO) fatty acids in the tissues. In the present study, the effect on MDA excretion of several additional dietary and endogenous factors was evaluated. The composition of dietary fatty acids had a major influence on MDA excretion in fed animals, being highest for animals fed n-3 fatty acids (20:5 and 22:6) from CLO, intermediate for those fed n-6 (18:2) acids from corn oil (CO) and lowest for those fed saturated acids from hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO). Diet was the main source of urinary MDA in all groups. Fasting produced a marked increase in urinary MDA, which tended to be higher in rats previously fed CLO. Fasting MDA excretion was not affected by the level of CO in the diet (5, 10 or 15%), indicating that feeding n-6 acids does not increase lipid peroxidation in vivo. Adrenocorticotropic hormone and epinephrine administration increased urinary MDA, further indicating that lipolysis either releases fatty acid peroxides from the tissues or increases the susceptibility of mobilized fatty acids to peroxidation. A decrease in fasting MDA excretion was observed in rats previously fed a high level of antioxidants (vitamin E + BHT + vitamin C) vs a normal level of vitamin E. MDA excretion increased following adriamycin and CCl4 administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Two procedures to remove polar contaminants from a crude brain lipid extract by using prepacked reversed-phase columns.

Abstract: Two procedures were developed using prepacked, reversed-phase columns (Bond Elut) for the separation of lipids from water-soluble contaminants. A crude lipid extract from brain tissue was diluted stepwise with a methanol/water (method or a methanol/saline (method mixture and, with each step, was passed through the column. As the polarity of the solvent was increased, all lipids became bound to the column, while the water-soluble compounds remained in the eluate. After three subsequent dilutions and column elutions, the eluate containing the more polar contaminants was discarded. The bound lipids were then eluted with a small volume of chloroform/methanol (1:2, v/v). Alternatively two fractions were eluted, the first fraction eluted with methanol/water (12:1, v/v), contained gangliosides, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid and sulfatides. The second fraction, eluted with chloroform/methanol (1:2, v/v), contained all remaining phospholipids, cerebrosides and cholesterol. For both methods a quantitative recovery of cholesterol and phospholipids was obtained. In method 2, when water was replaced by saline in the dilution solvent mixture, gangliosides were also bound and quantitatively recovered.

Clinical phase I pilot study of the alkyl lysophospholipid derivative ET-18-OCH3

Abstract: Sixteen patients suffering from widespread malignant disease, the majority pretreated and found in poor general health, were treated in a phase I pilot study with the alkyl lysophospholipid derivative 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3). Eleven patients were treated intravenously, and five were given oral therapy. Prolonged IV administration of 15-20 mg/kg/day at a concentration of 5 mg ET-18-OCH3 per 1 ml 20% human serum albumin could be continued safely. The maximum-tolerated dose was either 50 mg/kg as a single injection or 20 mg/kg during daily dispensions. Grade 2-4 toxicity, as pulmonary edema and impairment of hepatic function, then occurred during daily treatment. Toxicity was reversible. Mitogen stimulation and mixed lymphocyte culture studies revealed possible immunosuppressive effects of higher doses of ET-18-OCH3. There were no chromosomal changes in cytogenetic studies. Frequent post-mortem examinations revealed no further toxicity. IV and oral treatment showed few encouraging response data since there were two partial remissions in non-small cell lung cancers and a reduction of leukemic blasts to less than 10% in an acute myelomonocytic leukemia.

Membrane fatty acid modification in tumor cells: a potential therapeutic adjunct.

Abstract: The fatty acid compositions of several tumors have been modified sufficiently to alter some of their properties and functions. These modifications were produced in culture by adding specific fatty acids to the growth medium or by feeding fat-supplemented diets to tumor-bearing mice. The phospholipid fatty acid composition of the plasma membrane was modified, but there were no changes in membrane phospholipid or cholesterol content or in phospholipid head group composition. Each of the most abundant membrane phosphoglyceride fractions exhibited some degree of fatty acid modification. Electron spin resonance measurements with nitroxystearate spin probes indicated that the fatty acid modifications were sufficient to alter the physical properties of the plasma membrane. The K'm for methotrexate uptake was reduced when the L1210 leukemia cells were enriched in linoleic acid. Even when the kinetics of uptake at 37 C were not altered, such as for melphalan and phenylalanine uptake, the temperature transition of transport was modified, indicating that these transport systems also are responsive to the membrane fatty acid modifications. Enrichment with highly polyunsaturated fatty acid did not affect either the growth rate or radiosensitivity of the L1210 leukemia. However, the sensitivity of the L1210 cells to the cytotoxic effects of Adriamycin and hyperthermia was increased. These findings suggest the possibility that fatty acid modification of tumors may be a useful adjunct to certain currently available therapeutic modalities.

Two new icosapentaenoic acids from the temperate red seaweedPtilota filicina J. Agardh

Abstract: Two new fatty acid metabolites, 5(Z),7(E),9(E),14(Z),17(Z)-icosapentaenoic acid and 5(E),7(E),9(E),14(Z),17(Z)-icosapentaenoic acid, have been isolated from the temperate red marine alga,Ptilota filicina (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta). The structures of these new compounds, isolated as their methyl ester derivatives, have been deduced from detailed1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),13C NMR and 2D-NMR analyses as well as comparisons to known compounds.

The filamentous fungusmortierella alpina, high in arachidonic acid

Abstract: Arachidonic acid is not available readily, although it is widely distributed in animal tissue. We found that in some strains ofMortierella alpina, arachidonic acid accounted for 68.5–78.8% of the total fatty acids. This is more than twice the arachidonic acid content of any organism previously reported. The content of arachidonic acid per dry cell weight was about 25%. Our findings offer a method for the efficient isolation of arachidonic acid in large amounts.

Distribution and metabolism of hexadecylphosphocholine in mice.

Abstract: Distribution and metabolic fate of radiolabeled hexadecylphosphocholine (He-PC) has been studied in mice. It is demonstrated that He-PC is well-absorbed from the intestinal tract, intravenous (IV) and oral administration lead to similar distributions throughout the body, the highest accumulation of radioactivity occurs in liver, lung and kidney, and the metabolic products are radioactive choline, phosphocholine and 1,2-diacylphosphatidylcholine. The occurrence of these metabolites indicates that phospholipases C and D may be involved in He-PC breakdown.

Metabolism of ether phospholipids and analogs in neoplastic cells.

Abstract: The ether phospholipid 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (OM-GPC) is known to be a potent inhibitor of cell growth. Metabolic studies in both Raji and L1210 leukemic cells on OM-GPC,3H-labeled in the methyl groups of the choline moiety, showed a (diacyl)-phosphatidylcholine as the only labeled metabolite. Since the formation of radiolabeled (diacyl)-phosphatidylcholine showed a direct correlation with cell death, we tested other lipid analogs. One of these compounds, hexadecylphosphocholine (He-PC), which was3H-labeled in the methyl-choline groups, showed a formation of labaled (diacyl)-phosphatidylcholine similar to that found with OM-GPC. Again, there was a direct linear correlation between the formation of the labeled product and cell death. He-PC was found to be a potent cell toxin in in vitro experiments on cell cultures. However, analogs with an elongated phosphor to trimethylammonium distance showed no toxicity towards the cells in in vitro experiments. From the data, we conclude that the ether phospholipids are substrates for a phospholipase C or related enzyme. This substrate property may be responsible for the toxicity of the compounds in neoplastic cells.

Biosynthesis and biotransformation of ether lipids.

Abstract: Some naturally occurring as well as synthetic ether lipids are biologically active In certain cases, the effects of these substances are enhanced, in others, they are inhibited by compounds that were isolated from natural sources or prepared by chemical synthesis The biotrans-formation of natural or “unnatural” ether lipids in microorganisms, plant or animal tissue also can lead to substances that elicit biological effects The production of such compounds through various biotechnological techniques is a field wide open for future exploration In addition to animal cell cultures, plant cell cultures may become useful tools in biomedical studies concerned with ether lipids

Alkyl phosphocholines: Toxicity and anticancer properties

Abstract: The study reports on the investigation of acute and subacute toxicity and on antineoplastic activity of hexadecylphosphocholine (HPC), the first compound of a new class of antineoplastic chemotherapeutics. In rats, the LD50 of HPC was 606 mumol/kg; the maximum tolerable dose over four weeks was 39 mumol/kg. Symptoms of toxicity were enteritis, spider cell activation in the liver, hemosiderosis in the spleen and reversible transaminase increase. The best therapeutic effect was observed on methylnitrosourea (MNU)-induced mammary carcinoma in the rat. Two transplantable mammary carcinomas in the rat and autochthonous benzo(a)pyrene-induced sarcomas exhibited low-grade sensitivity to HPC. The MXT mammary carcinoma of the mouse, the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma of the rat, and autochthonous acetoxymethylmethylnitrosamine-induced colonic tumors of the rat were not chemosensitive to HPC.

Effects of diets enriched in eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acids on prostanoid metabolism in the rat

Abstract: To clarify the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on prostaglandin biosynthesis, diets supplemented with oils rich in one fatty acid or the other were fed to rats over a 4-wk period Animals fed the Max EPA diet showed a significant decrease in plasma and tissue phospholipid arachidonic acid content While plasma levels of DHA increased on a shark liver oil diet enriched in DHA, the liver and kidney phospholipid contents of DHA were not altered In addiition, the DHA-enriched diet did not decrease the arachidonic acid content of either liver or kidney phospholipids Whole blood thromboxane and vascular prostacyclin synthesis were decreased by 65% and 36%, respectively, in animals fed the Max EPA diet No such decrease was seen in the rats fed DHA-enriched diets We conclude from these results that in the rat DHA is not likely to have a significant effect on prostaglandin synthesis when given as a dietary supplement

New findings in the fatty acid composition of individual platelet phospholipids in man after dietary fish oil supplementation.

Abstract: Nine healthy male volunteers were given 15 Max EPA fish oil capsules providing 2.67 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 omega 3) and 1.72 g of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 omega 3) daily for 3 wk. Measurements were taken at baseline, at the end of the fish-oil period, and at 2 and 6 wk postsupplementation. The effect of fish oil on plasma lipids and the fatty acid composition of individual platelet phospholipids was studied. In general, the proportions of 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3 in platelet phosphoglycerides were substantially increased mainly at the expense of arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 omega 6). A large and significant increase in the relative EPA content of phosphatidylcholine (PC) (P less than 0.001) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (P less than 0.001) was noted at the end of the 3 wk supplementation. We have also shown for the first time a small but significant (P less than 0.001) incorporation of EPA in phosphatidylserine (PS). Incorporation of DHA was also detected in PC, PE and PS, whereas the relative AA content of these phospholipids was significantly reduced. Fish oil supplementation led to a significant increase of 22:5 omega 3 in PS and decreases of 20:3 omega 6 in PC and 22:4 omega 6 in PE. Postsupplementation measurements showed a gradual return of all fatty acids to baseline levels. The fatty acid composition of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) fraction remained unchanged throughout the trial period. We conclude that in humans omega 3 fatty acids are incorporated into platelet membrane phospholipid subclasses with a high degree of specificity.

Medium chain triglyceride in early life: effects on growth of adipose tissue.

Abstract: Effects of feeding early in life a diet high in either long chain (LCT) or medium chain triglyceride (MCT) were studied on the development of adipose tissue in post-weanling rats. The diets were similar in calorie distribution and identical in nutrients except for type of fat. The caloric distribution of the two diets by percent was LCT (corn oil)/protein/carbohydrate, 70/18/12 and MCT/corn oil/protein/carbohydrate, 66/4/18/12. Male littermates with less than 5% weight difference were pair-fed the two diets randomly at age 18–20 days. One-fourth of the rats were killed at 10, 16, 22 and 28 weeks of age and analyzed for adipose depots and adipose tissue cellularity. Results showed that the LCT-fed rats were significantly heavier, with larger epididymal, retroperitoneal, omental and subcutaneous fat pads than the respective pair-fed MCT rats. Also, LCT-fed rats had larger size and number of adipocytes than MCT-fed littermates. It is concluded that the type of fat in the diet, namely LCT or MCT, when fed early in life can influence the development of adipose tissue. MCT appears less lipogenic than LCT. The mechanism for the diminished adiposity of MCT-fed rats is related to extensive oxidation of MCT and its enhancement of thermogenesis leading to lessened energy efficiency.

A metabolite of an antineoplastic ether phospholipid may inhibit transmembrane signalling via protein kinase C

Abstract: In our search for the mechanisms by which the drug 1-O-alkyl-2-O-methylglycero-3-phosphocholine (AMG-PC) inhibits tumor growth and metastasis, we have detected a metabolite, 1-O-alkyl-2-O-methylglycerol (AMG), in membranes of MO4 mouse fibrosarcoma cells grown in the presence of the drug. Synthetic AMG inhibited the activation of highly purified human protein kinase C by diacylglycerol in the presence of phosphatidylserine. Furthermore, AMG also inhibited the receptor-specific binding of3H-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate to human HL-60 promyeloid leukemia cells in a dose-dependent fashion. AMG-PC was not effective or much less so in these assays. We suggest that interaction of the metabolite AMG with protein kinase C may inhibit stimulus-response coupling in tumor cells and may thus potentially contribute to the mechanism by which AMG-PC exerts its anticancer activities.

In vivo incorporation of labeled fatty acids in rat liver lipids after oral administration

Abstract: Striking differences were found in the compartmentalization of fatty acids into liver lipid fractions. The saturated fatty acids—lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic—were incorporated into phosphoglycerides at faster rates with increasing chain lengths, while triglyceride incorporation was almost uniform. The degree of incorporation of the unsaturated fatty acids into phosphoglycerides (structural) compared to triglyceride (storage and energy) was the converse of their oxidation rates. The incorporation of oleic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids was mainly into triglyceride, whereas dihomo-γ-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid were preferentially incorporated into phosphoglycerides. The data suggest that distribution of each fatty acid is different depending on its destination for structural or energy function.