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.
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