Phospholipid metabolism was studied in rat myocardial slices that were incubated under normoxia or hypoxia for up to 24 hours. Phospholipid degradation was prominent in hypoxic myocardium, particularly phosphatidylcholine, which markedly decreased after 24 hours of hypoxia. In contrast, lysophosphatidylcholine increased. The mechanism of phospholipid degradation in hypoxic myocardium was studie...

Human milk fat globules were used to explore how dietary triglycerides are hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase. These triglycerides were hydrolyzed very slowly by lipase alone as if the surface layer of proteins and phospholipids impeded the action of the enzyme. The inhibition of lipase activity could be overcome by addition either of colipase or of pancreatic phospholipase A2. Colipase enhanced t...

The effects of membrane sterol level on the susceptibility of LM cell plasma membranes to exogenous phospholipases A2 has been investigated. Isolated plasma membranes, containing normal or decreased sterol content, were prepared from mutant LM cell sterol auxotrophs. beta-Bungarotoxin-catalyzed hydrolysis of both endogenous phospholipids and phospholipids introduced into the membranes with beef...

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] plays an important role in atherosclerosis. The biological effects of Lp(a) have been attributed either to apolipoprotein(a) or to its low-density lipoprotein-like particle. Lp(a) contains platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, an enzyme that exhibits a Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 activity and is complexed to lipoproteins in plasma; thus, it is also referred to...

A novel fluorescence assay for phospholipase A2 [Wilton (1990) Biochem. J. 266, 435-439] has been used to study the Group-II rat liver mitochondrial enzyme, and a number of novel properties of this enzyme were identified. (1) The enzyme activity was located in the liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) while negligible activity was associated with hepatocytes. (2) Although subcellular fractionation ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the effects of darapladib, a selective oral investigational lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 inhibitor, on both plasma and plaque lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity. METHODS Patients undergoing elective carotid endarterectomy were randomized to darapladib 40 mg (n = 34), 80 mg (n = 34), or placebo (n = 34) for 14 days, follow...

Phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase activated by diacylglycerol is substantially inhibited by all phospholipids containing a phosphocholine head group, including phosphatidylcholine, hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine, choline plasmalogen, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysocholine plasmalogen, sphingomyelin and sphingosylphosphocholine. The sphingosine-containing phospholipids are the most inhibito...