Types Of Lipids Research Articles

Intranasal delivery of sulpiride nanostructured lipid carrier to central nervous system; in vitro characterization and in vivo study

The low and erratic oral absorption of sulpiride (SUL) a dopaminergic receptor antagonist, and its P-glycoprotein efflux in the gastrointestinal tract restricted its oral route for central nervous system disorders. An intranasal formulation was formulated based on nanostructured lipid carrier to tackle these obstacles and deliver SUL directly to the brain. Sulipride-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (SUL-NLC) was prepared using compritol®888 ATO and different types of liquid lipids and emulsifiers. SUL-NLCs were characterized for their particle size, charge, and encapsulation efficiency. Morphology and compatibility with other NLC excipients were also studied. Moreover, SUL in vitro release, nanodispersion stability, in vivo performance and SUL pharmacokinetics were investigated. Results delineates that SUL-NLC have a particle size ranging from 366.2 ± 62.1 to 640.4 ± 50.2 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 75.5 ± 1.5%. SUL showed a sustained release pattern over 24 h and maintained its physical stability for three months. Intranasal SUL-NLC showed a significantly (p < 0.01) higher SUL brain concentration than that found in plasma after oral administration of commercial SUL product with 4.47-fold increase in the relative bioavailability. SUL-NLCs as a nose to brain approach is a promising formulation for enhancing the SUL bioavailability and efficient management of neurological disorders.

Effect of lipid type on betulin-stabilized water-in-oil Pickering emulsion: emulsion properties, in vitro digestion, and betulin bioaccessibility.

The Pickering emulsion delivery technique is widely acknowledged for its efficacy in serving as a carrier that can encapsulate functional components effectively. Previous studies have shown significant differences in the stability of Pickering emulsions composed of different oil phases and in the bioaccessibility of the encapsulated functional ingredients. This study therefore investigated the effects of different carrier oils in the betulin self-stabilized water-in-oil (W/O) Pickering emulsion on the stability of the emulsion and bioaccessibility of betulin. The results showed that the oil type was one of the main factors affecting the stability of the emulsion. Palm oil and coconut oil provided better storage stability and centrifugal stability due to the high saturated fatty acid content. The bioavailability of betulin correlated significantly with the composition and characteristics of fatty acids in carrier oils. Carrier oils rich in low-saturation long-chain fatty acids tended to release more free fatty acids (FFAs), thus forming larger and more mixed micelles with stronger swelling and dissolution ability, resulting in a relatively high bioaccessibility of betulin. In contrast, the bioaccessibility of betulin in the emulsion prepared by coconut oil (with high saturated fatty acid content) was relatively low (1.17%). The results of this study indicate that selecting an appropriate carrier oil is important for the design of self-stabilized W/O Pickering emulsions to improve the bioaccessibility of betulin and other lipophilic bioactivities effectively. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of ionizable lipids for lipid nanoparticle mediated DNA delivery

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are successfully used for RNA-based gene delivery. In the context of gene replacement therapies, however, delivery of DNA expression plasmids using LNPs as a non-viral vector could be a promising strategy for the induction of longer-lasting effects.Therefore, DNA expression plasmids (3 to 4 kbp) coding for fluorescent markers or luciferase were combined with LNPs. Different clinically used ionizable lipids (DLin-MC3-DMA, SM-102, and ALC-0315) were tested to compare their influence on DNA plasmid delivery.DNA-LNPs were characterized with respect to their colloidal properties (size, polydispersity, ζ-potential, morphology), in vitro performance (cellular uptake, DNA delivery, and gene expression), and in vivo characteristics (biodistribution and luciferase gene expression). At an optimized N/P ratio of 6, spherical, small and monodisperse particles with anionic ζ-potential were obtained. Efficient transgene expression was achieved with a minimum amount of 1 pg DNA per initially plated cells. Zebrafish studies allowed selection of DNA-LNPs, which demonstrated prolonged blood circulation, avoidance of macrophage clearance, and vascular extravasation.Our comparative study demonstrates a high impact of the ionizable lipid type on DNA-LNP performance. Superior transfection efficiency of DNA-LNPs containing the ionizable lipid ALC-0315 was confirmed in wildtype mice.

All-Atom Membrane Builder via Multiscale Simulation.

I present an automated and flexible tool designed for constructing bilayer membranes at all-atom (AA) resolution. The builder initiates the construction and equilibration of bilayer membranes at Martini coarse-grained (CG) resolution, followed by resolution enhancement to the atomic level using the accompanying backmapping tool. Notably, this tool enables users to create bilayer membranes with user-defined lipid compositions and protein structures, while also offering the flexibility to accommodate new lipid types. To assess the simplicity and robustness of the tool, I demonstrate the construction of several membranes incorporating protein structures. The tool is freely available at github.com/ksy141/mstool.

Simulating Bacterial Membrane Models at the Atomistic Level: A Force Field Comparison.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are currently an indispensable tool to understand both the dynamic and nanoscale organization of cell membrane models. A large number of quantitative parameters can be extracted from these simulations, but their reliability is determined by the quality of the employed force field and the simulation parameters. Much of the work on parametrizing and optimizing force fields for biomembrane modeling has been focused on homogeneous bilayers with a single phospholipid type. However, these may not perform effectively or could even be unsuitable for lipid mixtures commonly employed in membrane models. This work aims to fill this gap by comparing MD simulation results of several bacterial membrane models using different force fields and simulation parameters, namely, CHARMM36, Slipids, and GROMOS-CKP. Furthermore, the hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) method, combined with GROMOS-CKP (GROMOS-H2Q), was also tested to check for the impact of this acceleration strategy on the performance of the force field. A common set of simulation parameters was employed for all of the force fields in addition to those corresponding to the original parametrization of each of them. Furthermore, new experimental order parameter values determined from NMR of several lipid mixtures are also reported to compare them with those determined from MD simulations. Our results reveal that most of the calculated physical properties of bacterial membrane models from MD simulations are substantially force field and lipid composition dependent. Some lipid mixtures exhibit nearly ideal behaviors, while the interaction of different lipid types in other mixtures is highly synergistic. None of the employed force fields seem to be clearly superior to the other three, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. Slipids are notably effective at replicating the order parameters for all acyl chains, including those in lipid mixtures, but they offer the least accurate results for headgroup parameters. Conversely, CHARMM provides almost perfect estimates for the order parameters of the headgroups but tends to overestimate those of the lipid tails. The GROMOS parametrizations deliver reasonable order parameters for entire lipid molecules, including multicomponent bilayers, although they do not reach the accuracy of Slipids for tails or CHARMM for headgroups. Importantly, GROMOS-H2Q stands out for its computational efficiency, being at least 3 times faster than GROMOS, which is already faster than both CHARMM and Slipids. In turn, GROMOS-H2Q yields much higher compressibilities compared to all other parametrizations.

Role of myeloid cells in mediating the effects of lipids on ulcerative colitis.

To evaluate the causal relationship between lipids and ulcerative colitis (UC) through Mendelian Randomization (MR), and to further investigate the involvement of immune cells in mediating this process. Utilizing summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of individuals with European ancestry, we analyzed the causal link between 179 lipid types and UC (2,569 UC cases and 453,779 controls) through Two-sample Mendelian randomization (2SMR) and Bayesian-weighted MR (BWMR). Based on this, a mediation screening of 731 immune cell phenotypes was conducted to identify exposure and mediator factors. Lastly, the role and proportion of immune cells in mediating the causal effects of lipids on UC were assessed via reverse MR (RMR) and two-step MR. The results of MR showed that there was a causal relationship between the six genetically predicted lipid types and UC (P <0.05), and the four immune cell phenotypes were identified as mediators of the association between lipids and UC. Notably, Phosphatidylcholine (PC) (16:0_0:0) served as the exposure factor, and myeloid cells CD11b on CD33+ HLA DR+ CD14dim acted as the mediator. Mediation analysis showed that CD11b on CD33+ HLA DR+ CD14dim had a mediation effect of -0.0205 between PC (16:0_0:0) and UC, with the mediation effect ratio at 15.38%. Our findings elucidate the causal effect of lipids on UC and identify the significant mediating role of myeloid cells CD11b on CD33+ HLA DR+ CD14dim in regulating UC through PC (16:0_0:0), offering new pathways and strategies for UC clinical treatment.

Lipid Assessment in Diabetic Patients in Karbala Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

One of the most prevalent illnesses, diabetes is not transmissible from an infected individual to a healthy one because it is present in every nation on Earth, including Iraq. Hyperglycemia is characterized by problems in the metabolism of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates in addition to persistent hyperglycemia. The glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level has to be 6.5% in order to satisfy the diabetes diagnostic requirements. This study examined the relationship between high lipid levels and type 2 diabetes. The investigation's goal was to look at the connection between blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels. Furthermore, therapy and early identification of lipid abnormalities in individuals may lower the chance of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In hospitals located in Karbala, Iraq, this cross-sectional observational research was carried out between January and June of 2024. Four hundred patients between the ages of twenty-five and sixty-five were chosen for this reason. Blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were all assessed.

Lipidome and proteome analyses provide insights into Mariana Trench Snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei) adaptation to the hadal zone

The hadal zone environment, characterized by extreme hydrostatic pressure, low temperatures, and limited food availability, presents substantial survival challenges for deep-sea fish species. In this study, we captured five deep-sea fish species (Bathysaurus mollis, Coryphaenoides rudis, Ilyophis sp., I. brunneus and Pseudoliparis swirei) from the Mariana Trench at depths ranging from 2027 to 7125 ​m, by employing China's “Exploration I and Exploration II”. By combining lipidomic and proteomic analyses, we aimed to explore the genetic basis of adaptive evolution to the hadal zone in fish. The results indicate several key findings: (1) P. swirei (Mariana hadal snailfish, MHS) may enhance energy storage and utilization during prolonged fasting periods by significantly increasing liver tissue levels of cholesterol ester (CE), ether-linked triacylglycerol (TG-O), coenzyme Q (CoQ), and ATPase content; (2) MHS could maintain membrane fluidity under high pressure by increasing the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids while reducing levels of cholesterol and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) content. (3) The regulation of lipid types and ratios could increase the risk of lipid peroxidation. To counter oxidative stress, MHS likely elevates monounsaturated fatty acid content and enhances antioxidants such as transferrin and heat shock proteins. Overall, this study provides new insights into the adaptive mechanisms of MHS to deep-sea conditions through the lipidome and proteome analyses, thus broadening our understanding of its resilience in the hadal zone.

Influence of phospholipid head and tail molecular structures on cell membrane mechanical response under tension.

Biological cell membranes are primarily comprised of a diverse lipid bilayer with multiple phospholipid (lipid) types, each of which is comprised of a hydrophilic headgroup and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. The lipid type determines the molecular structure of head and tail groups, which can affect membrane mechanics at nanoscale and subsequently cell viability under mechanical loading. Hence, using molecular dynamics simulations, the current study investigated seven membrane phospholipids and the effect of their structural differences on physical deformation, mechanoporation damage, and mechanical failure of the membranes under tension. The inspected phospholipids showed similar yield stresses and strains, as well as pore evolution and damage, but significantly different failure strains. In general, failure occurred at a lower strain for lipids with a larger equilibrium area per lipid. The obtained results suggest that larger headgroup structure, greater degree of unsaturation, and tail-length asymmetry influenced the phospholipids' ability to pack against each other, increased the fluidity and equilibrium area per lipid of the membrane, and resulted in lower failure strain. Overall, this study provides insights on how different phospholipid structures affect membrane physical responses at the molecular level and serves as a reference for future studies of more complex membrane systems with intricate biophysical properties.

Unraveling gender-specific lipids and flavor volatiles in giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) livers via lipidomics and GC-IMS

To uncover the relationships between lipid components and flavor volatiles, distinctness in lipid components and odor substances in giant salamander livers of different genders were comparatively characterized through UPLC-Q Exactive-MS lipidomics and gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (GC-IMS). A total of 2171 and 974 lipid metabolites were detected in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. Triglycerides (TG) and phosphatidylcholines (PC) are the most abundant types of lipids. TG level in male livers was higher than that in female livers (P < 0.05), whereas PC level showed no marked variation (P > 0.05). Additionally, a total of 51 volatile components were detected through GC-IMS. Ketones (42.18 % ∼ 45.44 %) and alcohols (24.19 % ∼ 26.50 %) were the predominant categories, and their relative contents were higher in female livers. Finally, 30 differential lipid metabolites and 12 differential odor substances were screened and could be used as distinguishing labels in giant salamander livers of different genders. Correlation analysis indicated that PS(36:2e), TG(48:13), ZyE(37:6), and ZyE(33:6) correlated positively with 3-methyl butanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and 2-methyl-1-propanol (P < 0.05), but adversely linked with 1-penten-3-one, and 1-octen-3-one (P < 0.01). By three-fold cross-validation, prediction accuracies of these differential lipids and volatile compounds for gender recognition based on random forest model were 100 % and 92 %, respectively. These findings might not only add knowledge on lipid and volatile profiles in giant salamander livers as affected by genders, but also provide clues for their gender recognition.

Derivatives of Pyrimidine Nucleosides Affect Artificial Membranes Enriched with Mycobacterial Lipids.

The mechanisms of action of pyrimidine nucleoside derivatives on model lipid membranes of various compositions were studied. A systematic analysis of the tested agents' effects on the membrane physicochemical properties was performed. Differential scanning microcalorimetry data indicated that the ability of nucleoside derivatives to disorder membrane lipids depended on the types of nucleoside bases and membrane-forming lipids. The 5'-norcarbocyclic uracil derivatives were found to be ineffective, while N4-alkylcytidines demonstrated the most pronounced effects, significantly decreasing the dipalmitoylphosphocholine melting temperature and cooperativity of phase transition. The elongation of hydrophobic acyl radicals potentiated the disordering action of N4-alkylcytidines, while an increase in hydrophilicity due to replacing deoxyribose with ribose inhibited this effect. The ability of compounds to form transmembrane pores was also tested. It was found that 5-alkyluridines produced single, ion-permeable pores in phosphatidylglycerol membranes, and that methoxy-mycolic acid and trehalose monooleate potentiated the pore-forming activity of alkyloxymethyldeoxyuridines. The results obtained open up perspectives for the development of innovative highly selective anti-tuberculosis agents, which may be characterized by a low risk of developing drug resistance due to the direct action on the membranes of the pathogen.

Mechanistic insights into how mixing factors govern polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexation in RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation

Hypothesis: Lipid nanoparticle self-assembly is a complex process that relies on ion pairing between nucleic acids and hydrophobic cationic lipid counterions for encapsulation. The chemical factors influencing this process, such as formulation composition, have been the focus of recent research. However, the physical factors, particularly the mixing protocol, which directly modulates these chemical factors, have yet to be mechanistically examined using a reproducible mixing platform comparable to the industry standard. We here utilize Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP), a scalable rapid mixing platform, to isolate and systematically investigate how mixing factors influence this complexation step, first by using a model polyelectrolyte-surfactant system and then generalizing to a typical RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation.Experiments: Aqueous polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) solutions are rapidly homogenized using reproducible FNP mixing and controlled flow rates at different stoichiometric ratios and total solids concentrations to form polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PESCs). Then, key mixing factors such as total flow rate, inlet stream relative volumetric flow rate, and magnitude of flow fluctuation are studied using both this PESC system and an RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation.Findings: Fluctuations in flow as low as ± 5 % of the total flow rate are found to severely compromise PESC formation. This result is replicated in the RNA lipid nanoparticle system, which exhibited significant differences in size (132.7 nm vs. 75.6 nm) and RNA encapsulation efficiency (34.0 % vs. 82.8 %) under fluctuating vs. steady flow. We explain these results in light of the chemical variables isolated and studied; slow or nonuniform mixing generates localized concentration gradients that disrupt the balance between the hydrophobic and electrostatic forces that drive complex formation. These experiments contribute to our understanding of the complexation stage of lipid nanoparticle formation and provide practical insights into the importance of developing controlled mixing protocols in industry.

Interactions between lipid metabolism and the microbiome in aquatic organisms: A review

Marine organisms' lipid metabolism contributes to marine ecosystems by producing a variety of lipid molecules. Historically, research focused on the lipid metabolism of the organisms themselves. Recent microbiome studies, however, have revealed that gut microbial communities influence the amount and type of lipids absorbed by organisms, thereby altering the organism's lipid metabolism. This has highlighted the growing importance of research on gut microbiota. This review highlights mechanisms by which gut microbiota facilitate lipid digestion and diversify the lipid pool in aquatic animals through the accelerated degradation of exogenous lipids and the transformation of lipid molecules. We also assess how environmental factors and pollutants, along with the innovative use of probiotics, interact with the gut microbiome to influence lipid metabolism within the host. We aim to elucidate the complex interactions between lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in aquatic animals by synthesizing current research and identifying knowledge gaps, providing a foundation for future explorations.

Optimizing Archaeal Lipid Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli.

Membrane lipid chemistry is remarkably different in archaea compared with bacteria and eukaryotes. In the evolutionary context, this is also termed the lipid divide and is reflected by distinct biosynthetic pathways. Contemporary organisms have almost without exception only one type of membrane lipid. During early membrane evolution, mixed membrane stages likely occurred, and it was hypothesized that the instability of such mixtures was the driving force for the lipid divide. To examine the compatibility between archaeal and bacterial lipids, the bacterium Escherichia coli has been engineered to contain both types of lipids with varying success. Only limited production of archaeal lipid archaetidylethanolamine was achieved. Here, we substantially increased its production in E. coli by overexpression of an archaeal phosphatidylserine synthase needed for ethanolamine headgroup attachment. Furthermore, we introduced a synthetic isoprenoid utilization pathway to increase the supply of isopentenyl-diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. This improved archaeal lipid production substantially. The archaeal phospholipids also served as a substrate for the E. coli cardiolipin synthase, resulting in archaeal and novel hybrid archaeal/bacterial cardiolipin species not seen in living organisms before. Growth of the E. coli strain with the mixed membrane shows an enhanced sensitivity to the inhibitor of fatty acid biosynthesis, cerulenin, indicating a critical dependence of the engineered E. coli strain on its native phospholipids.

Lipid accumulation product and type 2 diabetes risk: a population-based study

BackgroundThe Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) is a measure that indicates excessive fat accumulation in the body. LAP has been the focus of research in epidemiological studies aimed at forecasting chronic and metabolic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association between LAP and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among adults in western Iran.MethodsThe study involved 9,065 adults who participated in the initial phase of the Ravansar non-communicable diseases study (RaNCD) cohort. To investigate the association between LAP and T2DM, multiple logistic regressions were employed. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate LAP’s predictive ability concerning T2DM.ResultsThe participants had an average age of 47.24 ± 8.27 years, comprising 49.30% men and 50.70% women. The mean LAP was 53.10 ± 36.60 for the healthy group and 75.51 ± 51.34 for the diabetic group (P < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis revealed that the odds of T2DM in the second quartile of LAP were 1.69 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.29) times greater than in the first quartile. Furthermore, the odds in the third and fourth quartiles were 2.67 (95% CI: 2.01, 3.55) and 3.73 (95% CI: 2.83, 4.92) times higher, respectively. The ROC analysis for predicting T2DM showed that the LAP index had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.68).ConclusionA strong association was identified between elevated LAP levels and T2DM in the adult population of western Iran. LAP is recommended as a potential tool for screening diabetes susceptibility.

Mathematical analysis of a mesoscale model for multiphase membranes

AbstractIn this article, we introduce a mesoscale continuum model for membranes made of two different types of amphiphilic lipids. The model extends work by Peletier and the second author (Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 193, 2009) for the one‐phase case. We present a mathematical analysis of the asymptotic reduction to the macroscale when a key length parameter becomes arbitrarily small. We identify two main contributions in the energy: one that can be connected to bending of the overall structure and a second that describes the cost of the internal phase separations. We prove the ‐convergence towards a perimeter functional for the phase separation energy and construct, in two dimensions, recovery sequences for the convergence of the full energy towards a 2D reduction of the Jülicher–Lipowsky bending energy with a line tension contribution for phase separated hypersurfaces.

Effect of cationic and neutral lipids in cationic liposomes on antibody production induced by systemic administration of mRNA lipoplexes into mice

We have previously developed a modified ethanol (EtOH) injection (MEI) method for mRNA transfection wherein cationic liposome/mRNA complexes (mRNA lipoplexes) were prepared by mixing a small volume of a lipid-EtOH solution with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing mRNA. In the present study, five types of cationic lipids, namely N,N,N-trimethyl-2,3-bis(oleoyloxy)propan-1-aminium methyl sulfate salt (DOTAP), dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB), N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylhexadecan-1-aminium bromide (DC-1-16), 2-(bis(2-(tetradecanoyloxy)ethyl)amino)-N,N,N-trimethyl-2-oxoethan-1-aminium chloride (DC-6-14), and 11-[(1,3-bis(dodecanoyloxy)-2-((dodecanoyloxy)methyl)propan-2-yl)amino]-N,N,N-trimethyl-11-oxoundecan-1-aminium bromide (TC-1-12); two types of neutral lipid, cholesterol (Chol) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE); and polyethylene glycol-cholesteryl ether (PEG-Chol) as a PEG-lipid were selected. Ten types of mRNA lipoplexes composed of each cationic and neutral lipid and PEG-Chol were prepared using the MEI method. mRNA lipoplexes containing DC-1-16 or DDAB with DOPE and PEG-Chol (LP-DC116/DOPE and LP-DDAB/DOPE, respectively) were injectable and their systemic injection with ovalbumin (OVA) mRNA induced high anti-OVA IgG1 levels. Furthermore, systemic injection of the lipoplexes with luciferase (Luc) mRNA resulted in high Luc expression in the lungs and spleen of mice. These findings suggest that LP-DC116/DOPE and LP-DDAB/DOPE lipoplexes effectively induce antibody production via increased protein expression in the spleen.

Molecular insights reveal how the glycolipids in cell membrane mitigates nanomaterial's invasion

Nanomaterial-cellular membrane interaction is crucial for the cytotoxicity of such materials in theoretical investigations. However, previous research often used cellular membrane models with one or few lipid types, which deviates significantly from realistic membrane compositions. Here, employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the impact of a typical nanomaterial, boron nitride (BN), on a cellular membrane model based on the realistic small intestinal epithelial cell (SIEC) membrane. This membrane contains a complex composition, including abundant glycolipids. Our MD simulations reveal that BN nanosheet can partially insert into the SIEC membrane, maintaining a stable binding conformation without causing obvious structural changes. Dynamic analyses suggest that van der Waals (vdW) interactions drive the binding process between BN and the SIEC membrane. Further simulation of the interaction between BN nanosheet and deglycosylated SIEC membrane confirms that BN nanosheet cause significant structural damage to deglycosylated SIEC membranes, completely inserting into the membrane, extracting lipids, and burying some lipid hydrophilic heads within the membrane interior. Quantitative analyses of mean squared displacements (MSD) of membranes, membrane thicknesses, area per lipid, and order parameters indicate that BN nanosheet causes more substantial damage to deglycosylated SIEC membrane than to intact SIEC membrane. This comparison suggests the molecular mechanism involved in mitigating BN invasion by SIEC membrane that the polysaccharide heads of glycolipids in the SIEC membrane form a significant steric hindrance on membrane surface, not only hindering the insertion of BN, but also resisting the lipid extraction by BN. Free energy calculations further support this conclusion. Overall, our MD simulations not only shed new light into the reduced impact of BN nanosheet on the realistic SIEC membrane but also highlight the importance of glycolipids in protecting cell membranes from nanomaterial invasion, contributing to a deeper understanding of nanomaterial-realistic cell membrane interactions.

Causal relationship between serum metabolites and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible lung disease with unclear pathological mechanisms. In this study, we utilized bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to analyze the relationship between serum metabolites and IPF, and conducted metabolic pathway analysis. AimTo determine the causal relationship between serum metabolites and IPF using MR analysis. MethodsA two-sample MR analysis was conducted to evaluate the causal relationship between 824 serum metabolites and IPF. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to estimate the causal relationship between exposure and results. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using MR Egger, weighted median, and maximum likelihood to eliminate pleiotropy. Additionally, metabolic pathway analysis was conducted to identify potential metabolic pathways. ResultsWe identified 12 serum metabolites (6 risks and 6 protective) associated with IPF from 824 metabolites. Among them, 11 were known and 1 was unknown. 1-Eicosatrienoylglycophorophospholine and 1-myristoylglycophorophospholine were bidirectional MR positive factors, with 1-myristoylglycophorophospholine being a risk factor (1.0013, 1.0097) and 1-eicosatrienoylglycophorine being a protective factor (0.9914, 0.9990). The four lipids (1-linoleoylglycerophoethanolamine*, total cholesterol in large high-density lipoprotein [HDL], cholesterol esters in very large HDL, and phospholipids in very large HDL) and one NA metabolite (degree of unsaturation) were included in the known hazardous metabolites. The known protective metabolites included three types of lipids (carnitine, 1-linoleoylglycerophoethanolamine*, and 1-eicosatrienoylglycerophophophorine), one amino acid (hypoxanthine), and two unknown metabolites (the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids, and the ratio of photoshopids to total lipids ratio in chylomicrons and extremely large very low-density lipoprotein [VLDL]). Moreover, sn-Glycerol 3-phosphate and 1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocline were found to be involved in the pathogenesis of IPF through metabolic pathways such as Glycerolide metabolism and Glycerophospholipid metabolism. ConclusionOur study identified 6 causal risks and 6 protective serum metabolites associated with IPF. Additionally, 2 metabolites were found to be involved in the pathogenesis of IPF through metabolic pathways, providing a new perspective for further understanding the metabolic pathway and the pathogenesis of IPF.

Impact of hypertension and lipid profile on cardiac function in an Iranian teaching hospital: A cross-sectional analysis.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) pose a significant global health challenge and affect diverse populations. For conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke prevalence, understanding the multifaceted factors contributing to CVDs is crucial. Hypertension and dyslipidemia, which are established risk factors, require further exploration, particularly in terms of their individual impact on cardiac function. This study aims to uncover associations, elucidate nuanced interplay, and provide insights for personalized interventions. A cross-sectional analysis, conducted at a Tehran Teaching Hospital, focused on adults admitted for suspected heart disease. The dataset included demographic information, clinical history, medications, and echocardiographic data. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation with IBM SPSS Statistics software. In this analysis of 95 individuals suspected of heart disease, aged 51 years on average, diverse blood pressure patterns with significant percentages across various hypertension stages were observed. Lipid profile analysis revealed typical lipid levels. Correlations between blood pressure, lipid parameters, and cardiac function indicated significant associations, including a negative correlation between ejection fraction and blood pressure and significant correlations between lipid profiles and adverse cardiac volume changes. Disparities in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes have highlighted potential links to hypertension. This study sheds light on crucial clinical aspects of individuals with suspected heart disease, revealing patterns of obesity, varied blood pressure categories, and nuanced lipid profiles. The correlations between blood pressure, lipid parameters, and cardiac function highlight potential connections, emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions for improved cardiovascular outcomes.