Generation of acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine from the rat skin and muscle tissues stimulated by moxibustion

Platelet-activating factor was obtained from the rat skin and muscle tissues which were stimulated by moxibustion. It showed a typical aggregation pattern on interaction with washed rabbit platelets but when it was treated with phospholipases A2 and C, and CV 3988 the aggregation activity was lost. Platelet-activating factor was hydrolysed with phospholipase C and the resulting lipid product was converted to the tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative. After purification by thin layer chromatography, the ether type of derivative was analysed by a selected ion monitoring technique of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 1-0-Hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine only was identified.     

Application of selected ion monitoring to determination of platelet-activating factor

The selected ion monitoring (SIM) technique was applied to determination of platelet-activating factor (PAF) or acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine (AGEPC). Two types of PAF, 1-hexadecyl- and 1-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (C16 = 0 AGEPC and C18 = 0 AGEPC), were found in human neutrophils on the challenge with ionophore A23187. The contents of C16 = 0 AGEPC in 1 X 10(7) neutrophil cells of four volunteers, respectively, were 47, 18, 59, and 73 ng and those of C18 = 0 AGEPC were 22, 4, 19, and 31 ng.     

Conversion of 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine to lyso platelet-activating factor by the CoA-independent transacylase in membrane fractions of human neutrophils

The first step in the synthesis of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in stimulated neutrophils is generally accepted to be hydrolysis of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC), with 1-O-alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC being the preferred precursor. Characterization of the enzymatic activity responsible for the hydrolysis of 1-O-alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC has been hampered by lack of an active and reliable cell-free system for study. In the present studies, membrane preparations containing 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC were prepared from intact human neutrophils that had been labeled using 1-O-[3H]hexadecyl-2-lyso-GPC. When the labeled membrane preparations were incubated in the presence of unlabeled 1-O-alkyl-2-lyso-GPC (5 microM), rapid deacylation (up to 25% of the label in 10 min) of the 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC to 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-lyso-GPC (lyso-PAF) was observed. The deacylation activity appeared to be the same in preparations from resting or stimulated cells. No requirement for Ca2+, various nucleotides, or protein kinase activation could be demonstrated. A number of observations indicated that [3H]lyso-PAF is formed in the system by the action of the CoA-independent transacylase present in the cells rather than by phospholipase A2. Both 1-O-alkyl-2-lyso-GPC and 1-acyl-2-lyso-GPC elicited deacylation of 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC, whereas neither 3-O-alkyl-2-lyso-GPC nor 1-O-alkyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, which should act as detergents but are not transacylase substrates, effected deacylation. The deacylation activity and CoA-independent transacylase activities were blocked in parallel by a number of inhibitors and by heat inactivation. In preparations containing 1-O-alkyl-2-[3H]arachidonoyl-GPC, no release of free [3H]arachidonic acid was observed. However, a shift of the [3H]arachidonate into exogenous 1-O-tetradecyl-2-lyso-GPC was observed in the system. These findings are consistent with the generation of [3H]lyso-PAF by the CoA-independent transacylase activity.     

The occurrence of direct desaturation of phospholipid acyl chain in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Thermal adaptation of membrane phospholipid

Microsomes from Tetrahymena pyriformis catalyzed the conversion of 1-acyl-2-[1-14C]oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine to 1-acyl-2-[1-14C]linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine in the presence of oxygen and NADH or NADPH as cofactors. This desaturation enzyme activity was inhibited by cyanide and increased by 0.05-0.1% Triton X-100. Under optimal conditions desaturation appeared to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Km value of 6.9 . 10(-4) M. During incubation, no significant cleavage of phospholipid substrate was observed and no desaturation of free fatty acid occurred. The activity of 1-acyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine desaturase was increased approx. 4-fold when Tetrahymena cells were shifted to a lower growth temperature. These data suggest the existence of a direct phospholipid desaturation system from oleoylphosphatidylcholine to linoleoylphosphatidylcholine. In addition, this desaturation may participate in the control of membrane lipid adaptation to a lower growth temperature in Tetrahymena.     

Stimulation of human neutrophil degranulation with 1-0-octadecyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine: Modulation by inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism

1-0-octadecyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (C₁₈-AGEPC) stimulated a concentration (10-¹⁰-10-⁶M)-dependent release of granule-associated enzymes from human neutrophils. Cells which were not preincubated with cytochalasin B prior to exposure to C₁₈-AGEPC did not degranulate. C₁₈-AGEPC-elicited enzyme release was significantly reduced, but not abolished, in the absence of extracellular calcium. The lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and the lipoxygenase/cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, an acetylenic analog of arachidonic acid, caused a concentration-dependent suppression of enzyme discharge from neutrophils exposed to C₁₈-AGEPC. However, the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin, ibuprofen and flurbiprofen had no effect on C₁₈-AGEPC-induced enzyme extrusion.     

Evidence that hydrolysis of ethanolamine plasmalogens triggers synthesis of platelet-activating factor via a transacylation reaction

Addition of 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (alkenyl-lyso-GPE) to human neutrophil membrane preparations containing 1-O-[3H]hexadecyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC) resulted in rapid deacylation of the 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC to 1-O-[3H]alkyl-2-lyso-GPC (lyso-platelet-activating factor, lyso-PAF). When acetyl-CoA was included in the incubation mixture, the [3H]lyso-PAF was converted to [3H]PAF. Studies of [3H]arachidonate-labeled neutrophils permeabilized with Staphlococcus aureus alpha-toxin revealed a major shift of labeled [3H]arachidonate from the choline to the ethanolamine-containing phosphoglycerides upon addition of alkenyl-lyso-GPE. The studies indicated that lyso-PAF is formed in the system by the transfer of arachidonate from 1-O-alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC to the alkenyl-lyso-GPE by a CoA-independent transacylase reaction. Mass measurements revealed a rapid loss of arachidonate from 1-radyl-2-acyl-GPE and a concomitant increase in alkenyl-lyso-GPE upon stimulation of the neutrophils by ionophore A23187. Based on these and other findings, a pathway is proposed that may play a significant, if not obligatory, role in the synthesis of PAF in intact stimulated neutrophils. It has been widely accepted that phospholipase A2 acts directly on 1-O-alkyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC as the first step in the synthesis of PAF via formation of lyso-PAF. In the proposed scheme, phospholipase A2, upon stimulation, acts rapidly on ethanolamine plasmalogen selectively releasing arachidonic acid and generating alkenyl-lyso-GPE. The CoA-independent transacylase then selectively transfers arachidonate from 1-radyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPC to the alkenyl-lyso-GPE generating lyso-PAF, which is then acetylated to form PAF. The interactions outlined can account for the synthesis of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC, 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acetyl-GPE, and eicosanoids, in parallel with PAF.     

Effects of an anion channel blocker, 4, 4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic acid stilbene (DIDS), on human neutrophil function

We investigated the capacity of DIDS to influence degranulation and superoxide anion (O-2) generation by human neutrophils exposed to soluble, surface-active stimuli. DIDS caused a concentration-related (25-200 microM) inhibition of myeloperoxidase (MPO) release from N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), 5(S), 12(R)-dihydroxy-6, 14-cis-8, 10-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid (LTB4), 1-0-hexadecyl/octadecyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (AGEPC) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated neutrophils. In contrast, DIDS had no effect on O-2 production by FMLP and PMA activated cells, whereas it enhanced LTB4 and AGEPC-elicited O-2 generation. The respective effects of DIDS on these neutrophil activities were reversed by washing the cells prior to exposure to stimulus. Thus, DIDS represents a useful pharmacologic probe for investigating the role(s) of anions in the mechanisms of neutrophil activation with structurally and chemically dissimilar stimuli.     

Activation of the human neutrophil respiratory burst with zymosan-activated serum

Zymosan-activated serum (ZAS) stimulated a time- and concentration-dependent generation of superoxide anion (O₂^?) by human neutrophils. O₂^? production was rapid with maximum generation occurring 2 minutes after cell exposure to ZAS. O₂^? generation is markedly reduced if cells are not preincubated with cytochalasin B prior to contact with ZAS. The amount of O₂^? produced by ZAS stimulated neutrophils was enhanced in the presence of extracellular calcium. However, the intracellular calcium antagonist, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-(3,4,5-trimethoxy) benzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8), caused a dose-related inhibition of ZAS-elicited O₂^? production. Neutrophils pretreated with ZAS were desensitized to the subsequent exposure to this stimulus. The fact that pretreatment of neutrophils with ZAS did not diminish the capacity of these cells to generate O₂^? in response to 1-0-hexadecyl/octadecyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (AGEPC), N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) or 5(5),12(R)-dihydroxy-6,14-cis-8,10-transeicosatetraenoic acid (LTB₄), demonstrates the stimulus specific nature of ZAS-induced desensitization. Thus, ZAS, which contains the complement-derived neutrophil activator, C5a, a naturally occurring phlogistic mediator, represénts a relevent probe for investigating neutrophil function.     

Phosphono-platelet activating factor I. synthesis of 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-acetyl-glyceryl-3-(2-trimethyl ammonium-methyl) phosphonate and its platelet activating potency

The total synthesis of 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-3-glyceryl-(2-trimethyl ammoniummethyl) phosphonate, the phosphono analogue of 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, is described. The phosphonolipid shows much lower activity than the phospholipid stimulating serotonin release from rabbit platelets.     

A cytosolic phospholipase in human neutrophils that hydrolyzes arachidonoyl-containing phosphatidylcholine

In stimulated neutrophils the production of eicosinoids and the lipid mediator, platelet-activating factor, is thought to be initiated by the activation of a phospholipase A2 which cleaves arachidonic acid from choline-containing glycerophospholipids. Accordingly, studies were undertaken in human neutrophils to characterize phospholipase enzymes that can hydrolyze 1-acyl- and 1-alkyl-linked arachidonoyl-containing phosphatidylcholine (PC). Cellular homogenates were incubated with sonicated dispersions of the arachidonoyl-labeled phospholipid substrates and the hydrolysis of radiolabeled arachidonate was measured. The phospholipase activity was cytosolic, optimal at pH 8.0, and calcium dependent. The homogenization conditions used were important in determining the amount of recoverable enzymatic activity. Vigorous sonication and the presence of calcium during homogenization were strongly inhibitory, whereas the presence of EGTA, heparin and proteinase inhibitors during homogenization increased the activity. Competitive experiments with unlabeled substrates suggested that the phospholipase hydrolyzed arachidonic acid equally well from either 1-acyl- or 1-alkyl-linked PC. However, the phospholipase did show specificity for arachidonic acid, compared to oleic or linoleic acids, at the sn-2 position of 1-acyl-linked PC. When neutrophils were first stimulated with the ionophore A23187, the phospholipase activity against 1-O-hexadecyl-2-[3H]arachidonoylglycerophosphocholine (GPC) increased in a time-dependent fashion up to 3.5-fold over the unstimulated level. The activity against 1-palmitoyl-2-[3H]arachidonoyl-GPC also increased after ionophore stimulation but to a lesser extent. The results demonstrate the presence of a cytosolic, activatable phospholipase that may be involved in PC turnover, arachidonic acid release, and platelet-activating factor production in human neutrophils.     

An early transient decrease in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate upon stimulation of rabbit platelets with acetylglycerylether phosphorylcholine (platelet activating factor)

Washed rabbit platelets labeled with [3H]inositol were stimulated with AGEPC (1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine) (5 X 10(-10) M) for various time periods. Within 5 s of the mixing of these platelets with AGEPC, an approximately 25% decrease in the [3H]TPI (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate) was evident; immediately thereafter the radioactivity in TPI increased. These labeled platelets treated with various concentrations of AGEPC for only 5 s indicated a characteristic dose-related decrease in [3H]TPI. Radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate also appeared to increase after AGEPC-induced stimulation of platelets. Interestingly, within 15 s a 15 to 20% decrease in [3H]PI (phosphatidylinositol) and an increase in [3H]lysoPI was observed. However, [3H]lysoPI could be related only to one-third of the decrease in [3H]PI. LysoGEPC (lyso-1-O-alkyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine), which is ineffective in the activation of platelets, was unable to cause any changes in the phosphoinositides. The fact that the status of TPI was influenced in a time- and dose-dependent manner and the rapidity with which these changes take place suggest that this inositol phospholipid may be associated closely with the early processes which accompany the interaction of AGEPC with platelets.     

Platelet-activating factor. Evidence for 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine as the active component (a new class of lipid chemical mediators).

A glyceryl ether containing phosphoglyceride, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (Ac-GEPC), has been shown to have a biological activity indistinguishable from that of naturally generated (rabbit) platelet activating factor (PAF). Its biochemical and biological properties so closely parallel those of naturally occurring PAF that we propose they are one and the same compound. Both PAF and AcGEPC could be converted to an inactive form through base-catalyzed methanolysis and restored to 100% functional activity by reaction with acetic anhydride. The synthetic lipid, AcGEPC, elicited 50% secretion of serotonin from rabbit platelets at a level of 10(-10) M (based on phosphorus). A propionyl derivative had somewhat comparable activity towards platelets, whereas the butyryl homologue was some 7-fold less active and the stearoyl derivative was inactive. These short chain acylglyceryl ether phosphoglycerides represent an entirely new, potent and unique class of lipid chemical mediators. 1-Acyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (AcLL) also exhibited activity towards platelets but was some 200-fold less active than AcGepc. the propionyl lysolecithin behaved quite similarly to AcLL, but butyryl and stearoyl lysolecithins showed no activity.     

Application of quantitative deuterium NMR to the study of isotope fractionation in the conversion of saccharides to ethanols

³H-PAF-acether (Alkyl-[1′,2′-³H]-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine) was time-dependently transformed by plasma-free rabbit platelets into an unknown product, “PX”, which was distinct from lyso-PAF-acether. This effect was specific for platelets since plasma only converted ³H-PAF-acether into lyso-³H-PAF-acether and platelets were not effective in metabolizing lyso-³H-PAF-acether. Platelet aggregation did not interfere with the formation of “PX”. The latter is a novel platelet metabolite of PAF-acether with as yet unknown biological properties.     

Inhibitory effect of prostacyclin (PGI2) on neutropenia induced by intravenous injection of platelet-activating-factor (PAF) in the rabbit

Intravenous injection into rabbits of 1-O-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (synthetic Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF)) or PAF derived from rabbit basophils caused acute thrombocytopenia and neutropenia which was consequent to the formation of intravascular polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) aggregates and to their sequestration in the microvasculature, primarily of the lung. Infusion of prostacyclin (PGI2; 10 ng/Kg/min to 50 ng/Kg/min) inhibited in a dose-dependent manner PAF-induced thrombocytopenia and neutropenia as well as the sequestration of PMN in the pulmonary capillary network.     

Specific monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells induced by oxidized phospholipids involves activation of cPLA2 and lipoxygenase

Oxidized phospholipids stimulate endothelial cells to bind monocytes, but not neutrophils, an initiating event in atherogenesis. Here, we investigate intracellular signaling events induced by oxidized phospholipids in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that lead to specific monocyte adhesion. In a static adhesion assay, oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine and one of its components, 1-palmitoyl-2-oxovaleroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, stimulated HUVECs to bind U937 cells and human peripheral blood monocytes but not HL-60 cells or blood neutrophils. Monocyte adhesion was dependent on protein kinases A and C, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)). Inhibition of 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX), but not cyclooxygenases, blocked monocyte adhesion, and addition of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) mimicked the effects of oxidized phospholipids. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) was excluded as a possible target for 12-HETE, because monocyte adhesion was still induced in endothelial cells from PPARalpha null mice. Together, our results suggest that oxidized phospholipids stimulate HUVECs to specifically bind monocytes involving MAPK pathways, which lead to the activation of cPLA(2) and 12-LOX. Further analysis of signaling pathways induced by oxidized phospholipids that lead to specific monocyte adhesion should ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches against chronic inflammatory diseases.     

Effect of 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine on calcium fluxes by human platelet microsomes

Under conditions where optimal concentrations of arachidonic acid, phosphatidic acid, or the calcium ionophore A23187 caused release of 50-95% of calcium from preloaded platelet microsomes, basophil platelet activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, AGEPC) did not cause the release of calcium at concentrations as high as 2 X 10(-5) M. The failure to stimulate calcium release was not due to metabolism or inactivation of AGEPC. These results show that AGEPC is not a calcium ionophore and is unable to directly effect the release of calcium from microsomes by mechanisms other than ionophoric action. The increase in intracellular levels that occurs during AGEPC-induced platelet aggregation must be an indirect effect of the AGEPC.     

Metabolism of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in the human neutrophil

The biosynthesis of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC) together with that of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-GPC (platelet-activating factor) has been demonstrated in a variety of inflammatory cells and tissues. It has been hypothesized that the relative proportion of these phospholipids produced upon cell activation may be influenced by their rates of catabolism. We studied the catabolism of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC in resting and activated human neutrophils and compared it to that of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-GPC. Neutrophils rapidly catabolize both 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-GPC and 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC; however, the rate of catabolism of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC is approximately 2-fold higher than that of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-GPC. In addition, most of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC is catabolized through a pathway different from that of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-GPC. The main step in the catabolism of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC is the removal of the long chain at the sn-1 position; the long chain residue is subsequently incorporated either into triglycerides or into phosphatidylcholine. The 1-lyso-2-acetyl-GPC formed in this reaction is then further degraded to glycerophosphocholine, choline, or phosphocholine. 1-Acyl-2-acetyl-GPC is also catabolized, to a lesser extent, through deacetylation at the sn-2 position and reacylation with a long chain fatty acid. Stimulation of neutrophils by A23187 results in a higher rate of catabolism of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC by increasing both the removal of the long chain at the sn-1 position and the deacetylation-reacylation at the sn-2 position. In a broken cell preparation, the cytosolic fraction of the neutrophil was shown to contain an enzyme activity which cleaved the sn-1 position of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC and 1-acyl-2-lyso-GPC but not of 1,2-diacyl-GPC. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the human neutrophil is able to catabolize 1-acyl-2-acetyl-GPC in a manner both quantitatively and qualitatively different from that of platelet-activating factor. The differential catabolism may regulate the relative proportion of these two bioactive phospholipids in the neutrophil.     

Antigen-initiated release of platelet-activating factor (PAF-acether) from mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells sensitized with monoclonal IgE

Mouse bone marrow mast cells sensitized with monoclonal IgE and activated with specific antigen released 2.8 +/- 0.5 ng of platelet-activating factor (1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine) (PAF-acether)/ 10(6) cells. The PAF-acether was identified by its ability to aggregate fully aspirin-treated washed rabbit platelets in the presence of an adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-scavenger complex, by its co-chromatography with [3H]-labeled semi-synthetic PAF-acether and synthetic 1-0-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, and by its inactivation by phospholipases A2, C, and D and not by lipase A1. The antigen-initiated release of PAF-acether, leukotriene C4 (LTC4), and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and the secretion of the granule marker beta-hexosaminidase were not diminished by washing the cells before challenge, indicating that they were due to the interaction of antigen with the IgE fixed on the cell membrane and not to phagocytosis of immune complexes formed in the fluid phase. The parallel antigen-induced dose-response relationship, along with the superimposable time-course of the extracellular appearance, of beta-hexosaminidase, PAF-acether, and both leukotrienes indicated that the origin of these diverse mediators was from a common cell type with IgE-Fc receptors. Ethanol extraction of antigen-stimulated bone marrow-derived mast cells revealed the early transient appearance of a cell-associated platelet-aggregating activity, the action of which on platelets, like PAF-acether, was independent of ADP and arachidonic acid metabolism. The cell-associated activity contained a novel product that eluted at 13 min during high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (solvent hexane:n-propanol:water, 46:46:8), permitting resolution from PAF-acether and lyso-PAF-acether (1-O-alkyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine), which eluted at 29 min and 30 min, respectively. The cell-associated material, which differs from lyso-PAF-acether, the putative precursor of PAF-acether, in being active in the bioassay on platelets may represent a newly recognized intermediate in the generation of PAF-acether. As the transiently present cell-associated intermediate has not been previously recognized, its detection may depend upon the relatively unique properties of the bone marrow-derived mast cell system in which IgE-dependent activation leading to product generation is complete within 5 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

PHOSPHOLIPID METABOLISM IN SUBACUTE SCLEROSING PANENCEPHALITIS : ACTIVITY OF BRAIN PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 TOWARDS SPECIFICALLY LABELLED 1,2-DIACYL-, 1-ALK-1''-ENYL-2-ACYL- AND 1-ALKYL-2-ACYL-sn-GLYCERO-3-PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE

—1,2-Diacyl-, 1-alk-1′-eny1-2-acyl- and 1-alky1-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine specifically labelled with different fatty acids at the 2 position, were prepared enzymically using the acyltransferase system of rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum. The substrates were submitted to hydrolysis by phospholipase A₂ (phospholipid acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4) obtained from normal and brain tissue affected with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. In the diseased tissue an increase of phospholipase A₂ activity ranging from 46 to 54% could be observed in comparison to the control brain for all substrates investigated. Among the investigated substrates phospholipase A₂ had the highest affinity for the 1,2-diacylcompound, whereas alkenylacyl- and alkylacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine were cleaved at almost similar rates. The hydrolysis rate of choline-plasmalogen and the corresponding diacyl compound by the enzyme was greatly influenced by the fatty acid moiety located at the 2 position of the substrates.     

Preparation of 1-acyl-2-succinyl glycero-3-phosphorylcholine and evidence against its involvement in succinate dehydrogenase action

1-Acyl-2-succinyl glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (GPC) was synthesized and its properties described. Although 1-acyl-2-succinyl GPC is a good substrate for succinate dehydrogenase, experiments on the incorporation of [2,3-¹⁴C]succinate into mitochondrial lipids gave no evidence to indicate that it is an intermediate in the enzymic oxidation of succinate to fumarate, as has been suggested earlier.