Barbiturates* ; Brain* ; Membranes* ; Phospholipids*

Barbiturates* ; Brain* ; Cholesterol* ; Membranes* ; Phospholipids*

To prepare composite phospholipid liposomes containing total alkaloids of Strychnos nux-vomica with hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and 1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphacholine (DPPC), and compare with normal DPPC thermosensitive liposomes for thermosensitive release property. Total alkaloids were extracted from S. nux-vomica with the impregnation method and further purified. Liposomes containing total alkaloids, thermosensitive liposomes and conventional thermosensitive liposomes without thermosensitive release property were prepared by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients and stealth liposome technique. Their encapsulation efficiency (EE), grain size, zeta potential and drug release behavior were compared. Their EEs and zeta potentials were almost identical; but the grain sizes of composite phospholipid liposomes and thermosensitive liposomes were significantly smaller than conventional liposomes. After comparing release behaviors of the three liposomes at 37, 43 degrees C, we found that the release of composite phospholipid liposomes was significantly lower than that of thermosensitive liposomes at 37 degrees C, but higher than that of thermosensitive liposomes at 43 degrees C. Meanwhile, conventional liposomes, with a very high phase-transition temperature, showed only slight release behavior at both temperatures. The study results showed that composite phospholipid liposomes had a better thermosensitive release behavior when the dosage of lysophosphatidic was reduced by 2. 5 times.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Phospholipids ; chemistry ; Strychnos nux-vomica ; chemistry

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preparation and characteristics of curcumin phospholipid complex, including the effects of reaction time, reaction solvent, reaction concentration and reaction temperature. Preparation technology resulted in that 0.5 g curcumin and 10 g soy phospholipid dissolved in 100 mL anhydrous alcohol, were stirred 1 h in 50 degrees C waterbath, then steamed alcohol in decompression, collected solid residue and vacuum dried for 12 h. The physicochemical properties for the new complex including IR spectrometer, mass spectrograph and HNMR equipment were detected. As a result, the formation of the complex is based on the reaction between phospholipid polar group rounding phosphorus atom and curcumin. This result gave the evidence for the formation mechanism of phospholipid complex.
Curcuma ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phospholipids ; chemistry

AIMTo investigate the interaction between drugs and ordered phospholipid membrane using immobilized artificial membrane chromatography (IAMC).

METHODSIAMC was used to determine the interaction drugs with phospholipid membrane, expressed as membrane affinity (lg kIAM). An n-octanol/buffer system was also employed as the reference hydrophobicity (lg Do/w,7.4).

RESULTSWithin the range of used acetonitrile percentages (phi) 0-30% in mobile phase, retention index (lg kIAM) showed excellent correlation with phi. Intercepts of fitted straight lines between lg kIAM and phi were comparable but slopes were much different for the three organic modifiers (acetonitrile, ethanol and methanol). Effects by adding CH2 substituent on lipophilicity difference (delta lg kIAM and delta lg Do/w,7.4) were similar for p-hydroxyl benzoic methyl ester to butyl ester, whereas different for p-hydroxylbenzoic acid to methyl ester.

CONCLUSIONIAMC system is a convenient, efficient and rapid tool for determining membrane interaction.

OBJECTIVE: To construct protein functional network according to the physiological process in vivo and functionally based distinct families, to understand biological functions, and to make wise decisions. METHODS: We described here a very effective strategy combining with multiple-docking and protein-ligand binding-affinity fingerprint method to generate bio-functional network and pathway and reveal the protein "unknown" functions and their relationship. RESULTS: Totally 27 sets of proteins and 28 bio-active molecules were used to reconstruct the possible phospholipids metabolic network by computational simulation strategy. The protein-ligand network reconstruction and pathway based drug design showed that the direct interaction investigation might be effective in complex biological system study. CONCLUSION Even for weak and moderate interactions in the real biology system, the relationship between each other can be achieved by fingerprint analysis based on multiple-docking data. The results of these calculations give valuable insight into the pathway and the function relationship among these proteins. This method can be a very useful tool for protein classification, target selection, and inhibitor design.
Ligands ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Phospholipids ; metabolism ; Proteins ; chemistry

Phospholipids are important components of biomembrane and lipoproteins. Phospholipids can be oxidized by free radicals/nonradicals and enzymes to form oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs), which can lead to further generation of oxidation products with different biological activities. Clinical evidence shows that OxPLs are constantly generated and transformed during the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and accumulated at the lesion sites. OxPLs are highly heterogeneous mixtures that can influence the progress of atherosclerosis through a variety of related receptors or signaling pathways. This review summarizes the process of phospholipid oxidation, the related products, the interaction of OxPLs with endothelial cells, monocytes/macrophages, smooth muscle cells, platelets and lipoproteins involved in the pathological process of atherosclerosis, and the progress of the researches using OxPLs as a target to inhibit atherosclerosis in recent years.
Atherosclerosis ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Phospholipids

Human secreted phospholipase A2 GIIE (hGIIE) is involved in inflammation and lipid metabolism due to its ability of hydrolyzing phospholipids. To reveal the mechanism of substrate head-group selectivity, we analyzed the effect of mutation of hGIIE on its activity and selectivity. hGIIE structural analysis showed that E54 might be related to its substrate head-group selectivity. According to the sequence alignment, E54 was mutated to alanine, phenylalanine, and lysine. Mutated genes were cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris X33, and the enzymes with mutations were purified with 90% purity by ion exchange and molecular size exclusion chromatography. The enzymatic activities were determined by isothermal microthermal titration method. The Km of mutant E54K towards 1,2-dihexyl phosphate glycerol decreased by 0.39-fold compared with that of wild type hGIIE (WT), and the Km of E54F towards 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine increased by 1.93-fold than that of WT. The affinity of mutant proteins with phospholipid substrate was significantly changed, indicating that E54 plays an important role in the substrate head-group selectivity of hGIIE.
Humans ; Kinetics ; Mutation ; Phospholipases A2, Secretory ; Phospholipids ; Saccharomycetales ; Substrate Specificity

Long-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthase 4 (ACSL4) is an enzyme that esterifies CoA into specific polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid and adrenic acid. Based on accumulated evidence, the ACSL4-catalyzed biosynthesis of arachidonoyl-CoA contributes to the execution of ferroptosis by triggering phospholipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis is a type of programmed cell death caused by iron-dependent peroxidation of lipids; ACSL4 and glutathione peroxidase 4 positively and negatively regulate ferroptosis, respectively. In addition, ACSL4 is an essential regulator of fatty acid (FA) metabolism. ACSL4 remodels the phospholipid composition of cell membranes, regulates steroidogenesis, and balances eicosanoid biosynthesis. In addition, ACSL4-mediated metabolic reprogramming and antitumor immunity have attracted much attention in cancer biology. Because it facilitates the cross-talk between ferroptosis and FA metabolism, ACSL4 is also a research hotspot in metabolic diseases and ischemia/reperfusion injuries. In this review, we focus on the structure, biological function, and unique role of ASCL4 in various human diseases. Finally, we propose that ACSL4 might be a potential therapeutic target.
Humans ; Ferroptosis ; Apoptosis ; Phospholipids/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase

Essential fatty acids are important essential nutrients during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to compare fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids and essential fatty acid intakes between Korean pregnant women with a single baby and Korean pregnant women with twins. A total of 116 pregnant women who had maintained their health without any symptoms of pregnancy complications participated in the study. The subjects consisted of 57 women of singleton pregnancy and 58 women of twin pregnancy at the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. A 24-hour dietary recall was administered to each subject to obtain dietary information. The mean ages of the singleton pregnancy group and the twin pregnancy group were 31.44 years and 32.27 years, respectively, and the mean height values were 161.86 cm and 160.64 cm, respectively. The mean daily energy intakes in the singleton pregnancy group were 1639.95 kcal, 1904.71 kcal, and 1882.82 kcal for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester group, respectively. The mean daily energy intakes in the twin pregnancy group were 1745.99 kcal, 2203.46 kcal, and 2092.26 kcal for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester group, respectively. There were no significant differences in the mean fatty acid intakes by the type of pregnancy (i.e., singleton vs. twins and the stage of pregnancy (i.e., 1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd trimester). However, the mean total fatty acid intake of those at the 1st trimester among the singleton pregnancy group tended to be higher than that of those at the 1st trimester among the twin pregnancy group. Such a trend seemed to be retro-versed. That is, the mean total fatty acid intakes of the twin pregnancy group were higher compared to the singleton pregnancy group for the 2nd and 3rd trimester group. The LA and total n6 concentrations of serum phospholipids of the singleton pregnancy group were significantly higher as the gestational age increased (p < 0.05). The alpha-LNA(p < 0.05), EPA (p < 0.05), and total n3 (p < 0.001) concentrations of serum phospholipids of the twin pregnancy group were significantly lower as the gestational age increased. The alpha-LNAconcentrations of serum phospholipids in the singleton pregnancy group at the 3rd trimester were significantly higher than that in the twin pregnancy group at the same trimester (p < 0.05). The serum phospholipids levels of AA and DHA of the twin pregnancy group were generally higher compared to those of the singleton pregnancy group. Particularly the differences reached at the level of statistical significance for those at the 1st trimester (p < 0.01). It is concluded that the study findings imply that fatty acid metabolism may meaningfully differ by the type and stage of pregnancy. Future research needs to be conducted to more elucidate grounding etiology and possible roles of dietary fatty acid intake levels in relation to the study findings.
Fatty Acids ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Phospholipids ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Pregnant Women