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Biomedical subjects

R F Zwaal

Publications and source records attributed to R F Zwaal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Phospholipid scramblase activation pathways in lymphocytes.

In erythrocytes and platelets, activation of a nonspecific lipid flipsite termed the scramblase allows rapid, bidirectional transbilayer movement of all types of phospholipids. When applied to lymphoid cells, scramblase assays reveal a similar activity, with scrambling rates intermediate between those seen in platelets and erythrocytes. Scrambling activity initiated in lymphoid cells by elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) proceeds after a lag not noted in platelets or erythrocytes. The rates of transbilayer movement of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine analogues are similar whether the scramblase is activated by elevated internal Ca(2+) or by apoptosis. Elevation of internal Ca(2+) levels in apoptotic cells does not result in an additive increase in the rate of lipid movement. In lymphoid cells from a patient with Scott syndrome, scramblase cannot be activated by Ca(2+), but is induced normally during apoptosis. These findings suggest that Ca(2+) and apoptosis operate through different pathways to activate the same scramblase.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed2000

Multidrug resistance protein 1 regulates lipid asymmetry in erythrocyte membranes.

The role of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) in the maintenance of transbilayer lipid asymmetry in the erythrocyte membrane was investigated. The transbilayer distribution of endogenous phospholipids and [(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]hexanoyl (NBD)-labelled lipid analogues was compared in the absence and the presence of inhibitors of MRP1. At equilibrium the transbilayer distribution of the NBD analogues (in the absence of MRP1 inhibitors) was very similar to that of the endogenous lipids. Inhibition of MRP1 by verapamil or indomethacin resulted in a shift in the amount of probe that was internalized: approx. 50% of NBD-labelled phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) and 9% of NBD-sphingomyelin (NBD-Spm) were no longer extractable by BSA in cells treated with inhibitor, in comparison with 25% and 3% for control cells respectively. To verify whether inhibition of MRP1 also affected the distribution of the endogenous phospholipids, phospholipase A2 and sphingomyelinase were used to assess the amount of each of the various lipid classes present in the membrane outer leaflet. No shift in phospholipid distribution was observed after 5 h of incubation with verapamil or indomethacin. However, after 48 h of incubation with these inhibitors, significantly smaller amounts of PtdCho and Spm were present in the outer membrane leaflet. No appreciable change was observed in the distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylserine. Decreased hydrolysis of PtdCho and Spm was not due to endovesicle formation, as revealed by electron microscopy. This is the first report to show that MRP1 has a role in the maintenance of the outwards orientation of endogenous choline-containing phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed2000

Competition of annexin V and anticardiolipin antibodies for binding to phosphatidylserine containing membranes.

Annexin V, an intracellular protein with a calcium-dependent high affinity for anionic phospholipid membranes, acts as an inhibitor of lipid-dependent reactions of the blood coagulation. Antiphospholipid antibodies found in the plasma of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome generally do not interact with phospholipid membranes directly, but recognize (plasma) proteins associated with lipid membranes, mostly prothrombin or beta(2)-glycoprotein I (beta(2)GPI). Previously, it has been proposed that antiphospholipid antibodies may cause thrombosis by displacing annexin V from procoagulant cell surfaces. We used ellipsometry to study the binding of annexin V and of complexes of beta(2)GPI with patient-derived IgG antibodies to beta(2)GPI, commonly referred to as anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), to phospholipid bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and 20% phosphatidylserine (PS). More specifically, we investigated the competition of these proteins for the binding sites at these bilayers. We show that ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes, adsorbed to PSPC bilayers, are displaced for more than 70% by annexin V and that annexin V binding is unaffected by the presence of ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes. Conversely, annexin V preadsorbed to these bilayers completely prevents adsorption of ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes, and none of the preadsorbed annexin V is displaced by ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes. Using ellipsometry, we also studied the effect of ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes on the interaction of annexin V with the membranes of ionophore-activated blood platelets as a more physiological relevant model of cell membranes. The experiments with blood platelets confirm the high-affinity binding of annexin V to these membranes and unequivocally show that annexin V binding is unaffected by the presence of ACA-beta(2)GPI. In conclusion, our data unambiguously show that ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes are unable to displace annexin V from procoagulant membranes to any significant extent, whereas annexin V does displace the majority of preadsorbed ACA-beta(2)GPI complexes from these membranes.

Annexin A5↗
PubMed1999

Lipid translocation across the plasma membrane of mammalian cells.

The plasma membrane, which forms the physical barrier between the intra- and extracellular milieu, plays a pivotal role in the communication of cells with their environment. Exchanging metabolites, transferring signals and providing a platform for the assembly of multi-protein complexes are a few of the major functions of the plasma membrane, each of which requires participation of specific membrane proteins and/or lipids. It is therefore not surprising that the two leaflets of the membrane bilayer each have their specific lipid composition. Although membrane lipid asymmetry has been known for many years, the mechanisms for maintaining or regulating the transbilayer lipid distribution are still not completely understood. Three major players have been presented over the past years: (1) an inward-directed pump specific for phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, known as aminophospholipid translocase; (2) an outward-directed pump referred to as 'floppase' with little selectivity for the polar headgroup of the phospholipid, but whose actual participation in transport of endogenous lipids has not been well established; and (3) a lipid scramblase, which facilitates bi-directional migration across the bilayer of all phospholipid classes, independent of the polar headgroup. Whereas a concerted action of aminophospholipid translocase and floppase could, in principle, account for the maintenance of lipid asymmetry in quiescent cells, activation of the scramblase and concomitant inhibition of the aminophospholipid translocase causes a collapse of lipid asymmetry, manifested by exposure of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface. In this article, each of these transporters will be discussed, and their physiological importance will be illustrated by the Scott syndrome, a bleeding disorder caused by impaired lipid scrambling. Finally, phosphatidylserine exposure during apoptosis will be briefly discussed in relation to inhibition of translocase and simultaneous activation of scramblase.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1998

Lipid-protein interactions in blood coagulation.

It has long been appreciated that lipids, particularly anionic phospholipids, promote blood coagulation. The last two decades have seen an increasing insight into the kinetic and mechanistic aspects regarding the mode of action of phospholipids in blood coagulation. This essay attempts to review these developments with particular emphasis on the structure of lipid-binding domains of blood coagulation proteins, and the variable effect of phospholipid composition on the interaction with these proteins. Some examples are discussed of how lipid membranes direct the pathway of enzymatic conversions in blood coagulation complexes, also illustrating that the membrane lipid surface is more than an inert platform for the assembly of coagulation factors. Finally, the controlled exposure of procoagulant lipid on the surface of blood cells is shortly reviewed, and an example is discussed of how interference with lipid-protein interactions in blood coagulation may result in pathological phenomena.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Transbilayer movement of NBD-labeled phospholipids in red blood cell membranes: outward-directed transport by the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1).

The outward movement (flop) of fluorescently labeled analogues of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in human and murine red blood cells (RBC) was examined. 1-Oleoyl-2-[6(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]caproyl (C6-NBD) analogues of PS and PC were incorporated in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane through the action of aminophospholipid translocase or through equilibration upon prolonged incubation, respectively. After removal of noninternalized probe, externalization of C6-NBD-PS or C6-NBD-PC from the inner to outer leaflet was monitored by continuous incubation of the cells in the presence of bovine serum albumin. Flop rates for both probes in intact human RBC were virtually identical (t1/2 approximately 1.5 h), confirming earlier findings by Bitbol et al. [Bitbol, M., et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 6783-6787] and Connor et al. [Connor, J., et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 19412-19417]. Flop activity in resealed RBC ghosts could only be found upon coinclusion of both ATP and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Furthermore, flop in intact cells was sensitive to verapamil (IC50 = 5-7 microM), vincristine (IC50 = 20 microM), and indomethacin (IC50 = 50 microM), suggesting the involvement of proteins conferring multidrug resistance (MDR). Experiments with RBC from knock-out mice for multidrug resistance P-glycoproteins (Mdr1a/1b-/- and Mdr2-/-) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp1-/-) revealed that Mrp1 is responsible for the observed flop of the fluorescent lipid analogues. We found no indications for outward transport of endogenous PS by any of these drug-transporting proteins as measured by a sensitive prothrombinase assay. Neither aminophospholipid translocase nor Ca2+-induced lipid scramblase activities were affected in RBC of these knock-out mice. We conclude that lipid floppase activity, as detected with lipid probes, reflects the activity of MRP1 recognizing the modified lipid analogues as xenobiotics to be expelled from the cell.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed1998

Impaired Ca2+-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and defective lipid scrambling in erythrocytes from a patient with Scott syndrome: a study using an inhibitor for scramblase that mimics the defect in Scott syndrome.

Scott syndrome is an hereditary bleeding disorder characterized by a deficiency in platelet procoagulant activity. Unlike normal blood cells, Scott platelets, as well as erythrocytes and lymphocytes, are strongly impaired in their ability to scramble their membrane phospholipids when challenged with Ca2+. In normal cells this collapse of membrane asymmetry leads to surface exposure of phosphatidylserine. Here we report that Scott erythrocytes show an apparent defect in tyrosine phosphorylation on treatment with Ca2+-ionophore. Diminished tyrosine phosphorylation was also apparent in activated Scott platelets, but much less pronounced than observed in red blood cells. On the other hand, tyrosine phosphorylation profiles observed in Scott red blood cell ghosts after sealing in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were indistinguishable from those obtained from normal ghosts. Several observations argue in favor of a mechanism in which tyrosine phosphorylation in red blood cells is facilitated by, rather than required for scrambling of membrane lipids. Staurosporin blocks tyrosine phosphorylation in normal red blood cells, but does not inhibit the lipid scrambling process. White ghosts from normal erythrocytes, resealed in the absence of ATP, exhibit Ca2+-induced lipid scrambling without tyrosine phosphorylation. A selective inhibitor of Ca2+-induced lipid scrambling also showed an apparent inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation in ionophore-treated normal red blood cells, similar to that observed in Scott erythrocytes. While this inhibitor also suppressed Ca2+-induced lipid scrambling in ghosts that were sealed in the presence of ATP, it did not inhibit tyrosine kinase activity. We conclude that the apparent deficiency in tyrosine phosphorylation in Scott cells is an epiphenomenon, possibly associated with a defect in phospholipid scrambling, but not causal to this defect.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Regulatory mechanisms of transmembrane phospholipid distributions and pathophysiological implications of transbilayer lipid scrambling.

The various phospholipid classes that comprise mammalian cell membranes are distributed over both leaflets of the bilayer in a non-random fashion. While a specific and ATP-dependent transporter is responsible for rapid inward movement of aminophospholipids, its inhibition does not lead to spontaneous redistribution of lipids. Conditions of cellular activation which are accompanied with increased levels of intracellular Ca2+ may cause a collapse of lipid asymmetry by switching on an ATP-independently operating scramblase, which accelerates bidirectional movement of all phospholipid classes. The most prominent change in transmembrane lipid distribution is surface exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), the more so since conditions which activate scramblase in most if not all cases lead to inhibition of aminophospholipid translocase activity, which will prevent PS from being pumped back to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Surface-exposed PS serves at least two important physiological functions: it promotes blood coagulation and offers a recognition signal for clearance by macrophages and other cells of the reticuloendothelial system. As such, PS exposure may form an important early event in the process of apoptosis to ensure rapid removal of these cells in order to avoid release of their inflammatory contents. Defective regulation of transbilayer lipid distribution may result in clinical manifestations such as in the Scott syndrome, a bleeding disorder caused by an impaired scramblase activity. Conversely, excessive PS exposure may lead to thrombosis or may explain formation of so-called antiphospholipid antibodies as occurring in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Role of divalency in the high-affinity binding of anticardiolipin antibody-beta 2-glycoprotein I complexes to lipid membranes.

beta 2-Glycoprotein I (beta 2GPI) is an essential cofactor for the binding to lipids of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), isolated from patients with anti-phospholipid syndrome. We used ellipsometry to study the binding of beta 2GPI and the beta 2GPI-mediated binding of ACA to planar membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and 5-20 mol % phosphatidylserine (PS). No binding of beta 2GPI was observed to neutral (PC) membranes. Maximal binding of beta 2GPI was 3.2-3.6 pmol.cm-2. Affinity decreased strongly with decreasing PS content; increasing the NaCl and CaCl2 concentrations also led to a decrease in affinity. At physiologic conditions (10 mol % PS, 120 mM NaCl, and 3 mM CaCl2), a Kd of 14 microM was observed. Binding constants were insensitive to the chemical composition of the negatively charged phospholipid headgroup. ACA (1.25-10 micrograms.mL-1) caused a 30-40-fold enhancement of beta 2GPI binding to PS/PC membranes (20 mol % PS), resulting in the binding of about 2 pmol.cm-2 divalent ACA-(beta 2GPI)2 complexes at 100 nM beta 2GPI. In the absence of beta 2GPI, binding of ACA was negligible. Ad- and desorption kinetics of ACA-beta 2GPI complexes indicate that the initial monovalent association of ACA to membrane-bound beta 2GPI is rapidly followed by formation of divalent ACA-(beta 2GPI)2 complexes. Experiments with monovalent Fab1 fragments of ACA showed no appreciable effect on the beta 2GPI binding to lipid, substantiating the notion that divalent interactions are essential for the high-affinity binding of ACA-beta 2GPI. The anticoagulant effect of ACA is rationalized by the observation that binding of ACA-beta 2GPI complexes to the PSPC membrane severely restricts the adsorption of blood coagulation factor Xa.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Reconstitution of phospholipid scramblase activity from human blood platelets.

Cellular activation, accompanied by elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels, can induce a progressive loss of plasma membrane phospholipid asymmetry, resulting from increased transbilayer movement (flip-flop) of phospholipids. While this process has been demonstrated in a variety of different cells, it is most active in blood platelets. In order to test whether this lipid scrambling process is mediated by a membrane protein, platelet membranes were solubilized in cholate and fractionated by anion exchange chromatography, and fractions were reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles by detergent dialysis in the presence of small amounts of fluorescent (NBD) phospholipids. Using dithionite reduction to monitor the transbilayer location of NBD phospholipids, it was shown that addition of Ca2+ and ionomycin to vesicles reconstituted with a particular fraction results in transbilayer movement of the fluorescent phospholipid analogs from the vesicle's inner to outer leaflet. Lipid vesicles reconstituted in the absence of membrane protein, or reconstituted with another platelet membrane protein fraction, were devoid of this activity. Heating the active fraction or incubating it with pronase or the SH reagent pyridyldithioethylamine markedly diminished the ability of the vesicles to translocate fluorescent phospholipid analogs across the bilayer in response to Ca2+ and ionophore. These results argue that a membrane protein (or proteins) from blood platelets is required to catalyze Ca2+-induced transbilayer movement of phospholipids, suggesting its (or their) involvement in the loss of lipid asymmetry that can occur during cellular activation.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed1996

Contribution of different phospholipid classes to the prothrombin converting capacity of sonicated lipid vesicles.

The influence of different neutral phospholipids and cholesterol on the procoagulant properties of sonicated vesicles containing phosphatidylserine was studied, using the prothrombinase assay. When incorporated into membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine, a stimulating effect of phosphatidylethanolamine and an inhibiting effect of sphingomyelin was observed. Cholesterol slightly increased the activities of all vesicles tested. In lipid vesicles with a composition mimicking that of the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of the activated platelet, the inhibitory effect of sphingomyelin was overruled by an overall stimulatory effect of phosphatidylethanolamine, suggesting an accessory role for phosphatidylethanolamine in the procoagulant properties of activated platelets.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1996

Critical micelle concentrations and stirring are rate limiting in the loss of lipid mass during membrane degradation by phospholipase A2.

In phospholipid membranes attacked by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), accumulation of degradation products influences the binding affinity as well as the catalytic activity of PLA(2). Such accumulation in its turn depends on the rate of membrane degradation and the efflux of degradation products from the membrane, the latter being influenced by the stirring conditions in the system. This complicated process was investigated with a new ellipsometric technique for in situ measurement of membrane mass in a well-defined flow system. Planar phospholipid bilayers were formed on rotating silicon discs in buffer solution. After the addition of 0.05-100 ng/ml of PLA(2) (from Naja mocambique mocambique) to the buffer, mass desorption could be measured with a precision of 3-5 ng/cm(2), that is, about 1% of the surface mass of a single bilayer. Using radiolabeled phospholipids and thin-layer chromatography, it was verified that only the degradation products desorb from the membrane, which was confirmed by the desorption of mixtures of phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and fatty acids. The rotating disc allows the exact calculation of the mass transfer constant for transport-limited exchange of lipid between fluid and disc surface, as a function of rotation rate. By using the mass transfer constant, the critical micelle concentrations, and the mole fractions of products, desorption kinetics could be fully described. The amount of degraded phospholipid could be continuously monitored as the sum of the product mass still present in the membrane, as inferred from the desorption rate, and the mass already lost from the surface. It is concluded that ellipsometry is a suitable tool for studying the effects of PLA(2) on membranes.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1996

Regulatory mechanisms in maintenance and modulation of transmembrane lipid asymmetry: pathophysiological implications.

The two leaflets of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells differ in lipid composition: the outer leaflet comprises mainly neutral choline containing phospholipids, whereas the aminophospholipids reside almost exclusively in the cytoplasmic leaflet. The importance of transmembrane lipid asymmetry may be judged from the fact that the cell invests energy to maintain this situation for which at least two regulatory mechanisms are held responsible. A translocase, selective for aminophospholipids, acts as an ATP-dependent pump for rapid inward movement of phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine; in addition, a non-selective, but also ATP-dependent pump causes outward movement of phospholipids, be it at a much lower rate compared to the inward transport by the aminophospholipid translocase. These two systems, acting in concert, are thought to be the main players in the maintenance of a dynamic equilibrium of the phospholipids over both membrane leaflets. Dissipation of membrane lipid asymmetry can be elicited in different cell types under a variety of conditions; in particular, platelets upon activation rapidly lose their normal plasma membrane lipid distribution, but also in other blood cells, lipid asymmetry can be lost, be it at a much lower rate and extent than in platelets. A putative protein, referred to as "scramblase' has been described, which requires the continuous presence of elevated intracellular Ca(2+)-levels, to allow a rapid, non-selective and bidirectional transbilayer movement of phospholipids. Although scrambling of lipids does not require ATP as such, preliminary studies suggest the possible involvement of one or more phosphorylated proteins. The most prominent consequence of the loss of phospholipid asymmetry is exposure of PS in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Surface-exposed PS serves several important physiological functions: it promotes assembly of enzyme complexes of the coagulation cascade, it forms a signal for cell-cell recognition, which is important for cell scavenging processes. Surface-exposure of PS is an early phenomenon of apoptosis and appears to be involved in efficient removal of these cells. In addition, PS in the outer leaflet of cells is thought to play a role in cell fusion processes. It may be clear from the foregoing, that the amount of PS present at the cell surface needs to be tightly controlled, and that an impairment of this process leads to either excessive- or diminished exposition of PS which may have several pathophysiological consequences.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

The complex of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and calcium ions is not responsible for Ca2+-induced loss of phospholipid asymmetry in the human erythrocyte: a study in Scott syndrome, a disorder of calcium-induced phospholipid scrambling.

Elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in human erythrocytes induces a progressive loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry, a process that is impaired in erythrocytes from a patient with Scott syndrome. We show here that porcine erythrocytes are similarly incapable of Ca2+-induced redistribution of membrane phospholipids. Because a complex of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and Ca2+ has been proposed as the mediator of enhanced transbilayer movement of lipids (J Biol Chem 269:6347,1994), these cell systems offer a unique opportunity for testing this mechanism. Analysis of both total PIP2 content and the metabolic-resistant pool of PIP2 that remains after incubation with Ca2+ ionophore showed no appreciable differences between normal and Scott erythrocytes. Moreover, porcine erythrocytes were found to have slightly higher levels of both total and metabolic-resistant PIP2 in comparison with normal human erythrocytes. Although loading of normal erythrocytes with exogenously added PIP2 gave rise to a Ca2+-induced increase in prothrombinase activity and apparent transbilayer movement of nitrobenzoxadiazolyl (NBD)-phospholipids, these PIP2-loaded cells were also found to undergo progressive Ca2+-dependent cell lysis, which seriously hampers interpretation of these data. Moreover, loading Scott cells with PIP2 did not abolish their impaired lipid scrambling, even in the presence of a Ca2+-ionophore. Finally, artificial lipid vesicles containing no PIP2 or 1 mole percent of PIP2 were indistinguishable with respect to transbilayer movement of NBD-phosphatidylcholine in the presence of Ca2+. Our findings suggest that Ca2+-induced redistribution of membrane phospholipids cannot simply be attributed to the steady-state concentration of PIP2, and imply that such lipid movement is regulated by other cellular processes.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed1995

Continuous analysis of the mechanism of activated transbilayer lipid movement in platelets.

Dithionite reduction of fluorescent (NBD) phospholipids was used as the basis of a continuous assay of transbilayer lipid movement to the cell surface during platelet activation. This assay reveals that virtually all previously internalized phosphatidylserine passes through the external leaflet of the membrane within 90 s after activation with Ca2+ and ionophore or with thrombin and thapsigargin. We demonstrate that this lipid scrambling is reversible, bidirectional, and insensitive to the lipid headgroup. Prolonged activation gradually results in inactivation of the scramblase. The assay also reveals that activation of the scrambling activity is sensitive to the sulfhydryl reagent pyridyldithioethylamine, suggesting the involvement of a protein in the process of activated transbilayer lipid scrambling.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
PubMed1995

Differential effects of endothelial cell fatty acid modification on the sensitivity of their membrane phospholipids to peroxidation.

In order to study the relationship between the fatty acid (FA) composition of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and their susceptibility to oxidative stress, we modified their FA composition by long-term culturing in media supplemented with a saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated FA. Sensitivity of the cellular phospholipids to peroxidation was monitored by measuring conjugated diene formation and decrease of polyunsaturated FAs induced by CuSO4 and H2O2 in liposomes prepared from the respective phospholipid extracts. The extent of phospholipid peroxidation was found to increase with increasing content of polyunsaturated FAs. In addition, the sensitivity of individual polyunsaturated FAs to peroxidation was directly proportional to the number of double bonds present. However, no unequivocal relationship was observed between conjugated diene formation and the phospholipid unsaturation index (an indicator for the combined effect of number of double bonds and polyunsaturated FA contents of the membrane phospholipids). The results suggest that long-term FA modification of endothelial cells differentially alters the sensitivity of their membrane phospholipids to peroxidation: long-term modification with oleic acid may protect against lipid peroxidation, whereas linoleic acid may increase sensitivity to peroxidation. In contrast to what might be expected, long-term modification of endothelial cells with eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acid does not increase the sensitivity of phospholipids to peroxidation.

Cells, Cultured↗