Lipidomic Analysis of Plasma from Healthy Men and Women Shows Phospholipid Class and Molecular Species Differences between Sexes

The phospholipid composition of lipoproteins is determined by the specificity of hepatic phospholipid biosynthesis. Plasma phospholipid 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 concentrations are higher in women than in men. We used this sex difference in a lipidomics analysis of the impact of endocrine factors on the phospholipid class and molecular species composition of fasting plasma from young men and women. Diester species predominated in all lipid classes measured. 20/54 Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) species were alkyl ester, 15/48 phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) species were alkyl ester, and 12/48 PtdEtn species were alkenyl ester. There were no significant differences between sexes in the proportions of alkyl PtdCho species. The proportion of alkyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in women than men, while the proportion of alkenyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in men than women. None of the phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) or phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) molecular species contained ether-linked fatty acids. The proportion of PtdCho16:0_22:6, and the proportions of PtdEtn O-16:0_20:4 and PtdEtn O-18:2_20:4 were greater in women than men. There were no sex differences in PtdIns and PtdSer molecular species compositions. These findings show that plasma phospholipids can be modified by sex. Such differences in lipoprotein phospholipid composition could contribute to sexual dimorphism in patterns of health and disease.     

Influence of protein and lipid concentration of the test lubricant on the wear of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene

To gain a better understanding of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear mechanism in the physiological environment, the effects of protein and lipid constituents of synovial fluid on the specific wear rate of UHMWPE were examined experimentally. The multidirectional sliding pin-on-plate wear tester was employed to simulate the simplified sliding condition of hip joint prostheses. Bovine serum γ-globulin and synthetic l--DPPC were used as model protein and lipid constituents of synovia, respectively. Results of the wear test indicated that the UHMWPE wear rate primarily depended on the protein concentration of the test lubricant. Lipids acted as a boundary lubricant and reduced polyethylene wear in the low protein lubricants. However, the polyethylene wear rate increased with increasing lipid concentrations if the protein concentration was within the physiological level. Increased interactions between protein and lipid molecules and lipid diffusion to polyethylene surface might be responsible for the increased wear.     

Water structure and improved mechanical properties of phospholipid polymer hydrogel with phosphorylcholine centered intermolecular cross-linker

We investigated the water structure and the mechanical properties of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer hydrogels cross-linked with a novel hydrophilic 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl-[N-(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl]phosphorylcholine (MMPC) for soft contact lenses (SCL) applications and commercial methacrylic cross-linkers were in addition used for comparison with MMPC. Water structure in hydrogels, which influences the protein adsorption by dehydration was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. MMPC increased the freezing water content of the MPC polymer hydrogel compared with hydrophilic N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) at the same water content. MMPC also improved fracture strength of the MPC polymer hydrogel to 120 kPa in tensile, which was considerably higher than that hydrogel cross-linked with BIS. It is suggested that MMPC shows higher cross-linking reactivity with MPC than BIS. We concluded that the MMPC increase both the free water content and the tensile properties. The MPC polymer hydrogel cross-linked with MMPC can be a useful SCL biomaterial.     

Glycolipids improve lutein bioavailability and accumulation in eyes in mice

Intestinal carotenoid absorption is greatly affected by dietary factors. In this study, it was hypothesized that lipids with varying functional groups may influence differentially lutein bioavailability. Hence, the influence of glyco‐, phospho‐, neutral, crude (mixture of lipids) lipids, or mixed micelles (control) on the percent lutein micellarization in vitro and its postprandial plasma, liver, and eye response in mice were investigated. Results show that the percent micellarization of lutein with crude lipids and glycolipids were higher (91.4 and 45.7%) than control, while no significant difference was found between phospho‐ and neutral lipids. The mean plasma response of lutein was higher for crude‐ (6 times), glyco‐ (3 times), phospho‐ (2.7 times), and neutral (2 times) lipid than control (12.4 ± 1.18 nmol/mL 8 h^?1) group. Lutein levels (pmol/g) in liver were higher in crude (7.4 ± 1) and phospho‐ (3.6 ± 0.8) lipid groups while in eyes it was higher in glyco‐ (54.0) and neutral (21.2) lipid groups than control. The influential effect of glyco‐ and phospholipids may be due to smaller micellar size (glyco‐upto 3.43 µm, phospho‐ upto 5.78 µm) than the neutral lipids (upto 66 µm). Ingestion of lutein with glycolipid or phospholipids may improve lutein bioavailability. Practical applications: The findings of the present study will be useful in nutritional and biomedical applications for feeding lutein with specific lipid combinations to achieve enhanced lutein absorption. Specifically, feeding diet/emulsion with lutein and glyco‐ and phospholipid combination may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, owing to the influential effect of these lipids on intestinal absorption of lutein.     

Dynamic Assessment of Functional Lipidomic Analysis in Human Urine

The development of enabling mass spectrometry platforms for the quantification of diverse lipid species in human urine is of paramount importance for understanding metabolic homeostasis in normal and pathophysiological conditions. Urine represents a non‐invasive biofluid that can capture distinct differences in an individual's physiological status. However, currently there is a lack of quantitative workflows to engage in high throughput lipidomic analysis. This study describes the development of a MS/MS^ALL shotgun lipidomic workflow and a micro liquid chromatography–high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) workflow for urine structural and mediator lipid analysis, respectively. This workflow was deployed to understand biofluid sample handling and collection, extraction efficiency, and natural human variation over time. Utilization of 0.5 mL of urine for structural lipidomic analysis resulted in reproducible quantification of more than 600 lipid molecular species from over 20 lipid classes. Analysis of 1 mL of urine routinely quantified in excess of 55 mediator lipid metabolites comprised of octadecanoids, eicosanoids, and docosanoids generated by lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase, and cytochrome P450 activities. In summary, the high‐throughput functional lipidomics workflow described in this study demonstrates an impressive robustness and reproducibility that can be utilized for population health and precision medicine applications.     

Alterations in Membrane Phospholipid Fatty Acids of Gram-Positive Piezotolerant Bacterium Sporosarcina sp. DSK25 in Response to Growth Pressure

Pressure is an important thermodynamic property of the ocean and the deep biosphere that affects microbial physiology and biochemistry. Here, we report on our investigation of the response of Gram-positive piezotolerant bacterium Sporosarcina sp. DSK25 to hydrostatic pressure. Strain DSK25 responded in an adaptive manner to upshifts of growth pressure and showed systematic changes in phospholipid fatty acids. As the pressure increased from 0.1 to 10 MPa (Megapascal), unsaturated fatty acids in DSK25 increased from 21.7 to 31.1 % of total fatty acids, while the level of iso- and anteiso-branched fatty acids remained unchanged. At higher pressures (30, 50, and 60 MPa), the amount of unsaturated fatty acids decreased, and that of anteiso-branched fatty acids increased from 34.4 to 49.9 % at the expense of iso-branched fatty acids. For the first time, two polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 18:2n-6 and 18:2n-x, with the latter having much higher abundance than the former, were identified in DSK25. The concentration of the PUFA increased with growth pressure. These results indicate the involvement of unsaturated and methyl-branched fatty acids in the modulation of bacteria membrane fluidity and function over environmentally relevant parameter (pressure). Piezotolerant bacterium Sporosarcina sp. DSK25 appears to utilize two regulatory mechanisms for adaptation to high pressure, a rapid-responding mechanism on transient scale, expressed as increased biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids, and a long-term adaptation mechanism in increased synthesis of anteiso-branched and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our results further suggest that Gram-positive piezophilic bacteria respond differently than Gram-negative bacteria in adaptation to high pressure.     

Influence of Individual Phospholipids on the Physical Properties of Oil-Based Suspensions

The impact of soybean lecithin and three individual phospholipids at different concentration (C_PL) on rheology and sedimentation behavior of sugar/soybean oil suspensions (? = 0.31) was studied and compared with attraction and retraction forces between sugar surfaces in soybean oil as measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In general, a surfactant‐induced reduction of yield stress, apparent viscosity and sediment volume of the suspensions coincides with a decrease of adhesive interactions between sugar particles in soybean oil. Although the general influence of individual phospholipids and soybean lecithin is comparable, it is concluded from investigations at low C_PL that individual phospholipids exhibit a less pronounced impact on the analyzed parameters. Furthermore, at low C_PL, binary mixtures of the phospholipids are more efficient than individual phospholipids as regards the reduction of yield stress and sediment volume. While the same tendency was detectable for AFM results, these differences were not statistically verified. Slight differences were also evident when comparing individual phospholipids and their influence on rheology and sedimentation which are, however, not in line with the results of AFM. A general understanding of these interrelations between surfactant composition and possible synergistic or antagonistic effects in mixtures of individual phospholipids contributes to optimizing lecithin composition with respect to functionality.     

Cross-Sectional Associations of Food Consumption with Plasma Fatty Acid Composition and Estimated Desaturase Activities in Finnish Children

Plasma fatty acid (FA) composition is known to be an indicator of dietary fat quality, but the associations of other dietary factors with plasma FA composition remain unknown in children. We investigated the cross-sectional associations of food consumption with the proportions of FA and estimated desaturase activities in plasma cholesteryl esters (CE) and phospholipids (PL) among children. The subjects were a population sample of 423 children aged 6–8 years examined at baseline of The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study. We assessed food consumption by food records and plasma FA composition by gas chromatography. We used linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, physical activity and total energy intake to analyze the associations. A higher consumption of vegetable oil-based margarine (fat 60–80 %) was associated with a higher proportion of linoleic and α-linolenic acids in plasma CE and PL. A higher consumption of high-fiber grain products was related to a lower proportion of oleic acid in CE and PL. The consumption of candy was directly associated with the proportion of palmitoleic and oleic acid in plasma CE. The consumption of vegetable oil-based margarine was inversely associated with estimated stearoyl-CoA-desaturase activity in plasma CE and PL and the consumption of candy was directly related to it in plasma CE. The results of our study suggest that plasma FA composition is not only a biomarker for dietary fat quality but also reflects the consumption of high-fiber grain products and foods high in sugar among children.     

Purification of Soybean Phosphatidylcholine Using D113-III Ion Exchange Macroporous Resin Packed Column Chromatography

Ten ion-exchange resins were compared for their abilities to separate soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC). D113-III resin was selected for PC purification among ten resins tested. The optimum PC adsorption conditions were: concentration of PC solution, 3 mg/mL; pH of PC solution, 7.5; and adsorption flow rate, 1 mL/min. The optimum PC desorption conditions were: eluent, 95% ethanol aqueous solution; and elution flow rate, 1 mL/min. Under these conditions, the PC content in the product and the amount of product were 94 and 80% (wt.%), respectively, and the D113-III resin was able to be used at least six times for purifying PC. The adsorption and desorption characteristics were also studied.