Types Of Lipids Research Articles

Chemoselective Esterification of Natural and Prebiotic 1,2-Amino Alcohol Amphiphiles in Water.

In cells, a vast number of membrane lipids are formed by the enzymatic O-acylation of polar head groups with acylating agents such as fatty acyl-CoAs. Although such ester-containing lipids appear to be a requirement for life on earth, it is unclear if similar types of lipids could have spontaneously formed in the absence of enzymatic machinery at the origin of life. There are few examples of enzyme-free esterification of amphiphiles in water and none that can occur in water at physiological pH using biochemically relevant acylating agents. Here we report the unexpected chemoselective O-acylation of 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles in water directed by Cu(II) and several other transition metal ions. In buffers containing Cu(II) ions, mixing biological 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles such as sphingosylphosphorylcholine with biochemically relevant acylating agents, namely, acyl adenylates and acyl-CoAs, leads to the formation of the O-acylation product with high selectivity. The resulting O-acylated sphingolipids self-assemble into vesicles with markedly different biophysical properties than those formed from their N-acyl counterparts. We also demonstrate that Cu(II) can direct the O-acylation of alternative 1,2-amino alcohols, including prebiotically relevant 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles, suggesting that simple mechanisms for aqueous esterification may have been prevalent on earth before the evolution of enzymes.

The Effects of Spirulina Platensis on Several Biochemical Parameters in Male Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

Spirulina is a blue-green alga which grow in alkaline environment. It characterizes by being highly rich with divers nutrients, elements, vitamins, and pigments which are very beneficial, thus it is used as nutrition supplements and therapeutics purposes for human and animals as well. The objective of this study was to evaluate its effects on blood components, vitamin D, and lipid profile in rich fed rats. Eighteen Wistar male rats were used in this study and they were divided to three groups, each consist of six animals. The first group was control, the second and third groups were administered spirulina suspension 1gm/kg of b.w. and 1.5 gm/kg of b.w, respectively for twenty-eight constitutive days. Blood samples were collected from fasted animals at the end of experiment, 29th day, 24 hrs after the last dose of administration. Whole blood picture was used to measure blood compositions, while serum was used to measure the concentration of lipid profile and vitamin D3. Results regarding blood components shown that the high dose 1.5 g/kg of b.w. caused significant increase in RBC, HGB, MCH, and MCHC measurements comparing to the control group. Also spirulina concentration 1.5 g/kg of b.w. resulted in significant decrease in two types of lipids including TRI and VLDL comparing to control groups. The findings indicated that spirulina showed positive effects on blood contents and also improved certain lipids by shifting their concentrations. These results may attribute to spirulina contents of main nutrients, minerals, vitamins and its antioxidant compounds.

Progressive alterations in lipid distribution and composition in a murine Alzheimer’s disease model visualized by label‐free Raman microscopy

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is accompanied by severe alterations in the brain lipid profile, affecting both the type and the distribution of lipids in the tissue. Moreover, literature also suggests a close association of Aβ plaques and lipids, exacerbating amyloidogenesis and plaque deposition. Thus, a spatially resolved approach is eminently important to understand the chemical nature of the progressive relationship between Aβ plaques and surrounding lipids. In the here presented study, Raman microscopy, a label‐free, chemically selective technique, was used in combination with state‐of‐the‐art statistics to analyze Aβ plaques and the surrounding tissue in a murine Alzheimer’s disease model. By encompassing differently aged diseased and healthy mice, this study aimed to generate knowledge on the alterations of Aβ plaque surrounding lipids during disease progression, whilst advancing the application of Raman microscopy within a neurodegenerative context.MethodRegions of interest in brain sections of APP/PS1 (Amyloid‐Precursor‐Protein / Presenilin‐1) mice aged 50 days, 5 months, and 10 months, as well as healthy non‐transgenic mice were imaged using a confocal Raman microscope (WITec GmbH, Ulm, Germany). The hyperspectral Raman data sets were processed using Project 4 software (WITec GmbH, Ulm, Germany), in‐house written Matlab scripts (The Mathworks, Inc., Natick, USA) and the Matlab‐integrated RamanLight App.ResultUsing multivariate analysis, Raman signatures of the Aβ plaques, cell nuclei, mitochondria, and lipids were identified in the tissue, characterized, and compared to each other (Figure 1). Subsequently, the lipid signal was semi‐quantitatively analyzed. The results of this analysis indicate an increasing, massive abundance of lipids in the direct vicinity of the Aβ plaques with disease progression, and the biochemical Raman spectra also reveal the growing presence of long‐chained lipids around the Aβ plaque. Overall, a distinct shift of the lipid spectra and abundance, starting with disease manifestation, is observed in the proximity of the plaques.ConclusionThe presented study shows progressive alterations in the distribution and type of lipids surrounding Aβ plaques in an AD model, spatially resolving lipid alterations and providing valuable additional biochemical insight to more established imaging methods such as fluorescence microscopy.

Gel properties and in vitro digestion of sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) myofibrillar protein – Lipid composite gels: Focus on lipid type and content

The effects of lipid type and content on gel and digestion properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) were studied. The MPs sol was combined with three types of lipid (peanut oil, sunflower oil, and lard) with different contents (0.5–2%) to obtain composite gels. As for whiteness, no differ was observed in composite gels without or with lipid addition. The water holding capacity and hardness of composite gels with lipid addition increased. Moreover, fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) demonstrated composite gels with 1% emulsion addition exhibited the highest β-sheet content. The confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) revealed that networks of composite gels with 1% emulsion addition possessed more densely compared to control group. During the in vitro digestion, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed the peptide (>10 kDa) contents of composite gels with lipid addition were lower than that of control group under the simulated gastric phase. Moreover, the 2–5 kDa polypeptide content of composite gels with lipid addition was higher than that in observed in control group under intestinal phase. The results illustrated the gel and in vitro digestion mechanism of composite gels with lipid addition, which can be valuable for the fabrication of functional surimi products.

Lipid profiling reveals Leymus Chinensis root insensitivity to Ca limitation

BackgroundLeymus chinensis (L. chinensis) is a perennial native forage grass widely distributed in the steppe of Inner Mongolia as the dominant species. Calcium (Ca) is an essential mineral element important for plant adaptation to the growth environment. Ca limitation was previously shown to strongly inhibit Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedling growth and disrupt plasma membrane stability and selectivity, increasing fluid-phase-based endocytosis and contents of all major membrane lipids.ResultsIn this study, we investigated the significance of Ca for L. chinensis growth and membrane stability relative to Arabidopsis. Our results showed that Ca limitation did not affect L. chinensis seedling growth and endocytosis in roots. Moreover, the plasma membrane maintained high selectivity. The lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC): phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) ratio, an indicator of the membrane stability, was five times higher in L. chinensis than in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, in L. chinensis, Ca limitation did not affect the content of any major lipid types, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, showing an opposite pattern to that in Arabidopsis. L. chinensis roots accumulated higher contents of PC, phosphatidylinositol (PI), monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), cardiolipin (CL), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) but less phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diacylglycerol (DAG), triacylglycerolv (TAG), phosphatidylserine (PS), lysobisphosphatidic acids (LPAs), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), and lysophosphatidylserine (LPS) than Arabidopsis roots. Moreover, we detected 31 and 66 unique lipids in L. chinensis and Arabidopsis, respectively.ConclusionsThis study revealed that L. chinensis roots have unique membrane lipid composition that was not sensitive to Ca limitation, which might contribute to the wider natural distribution of this species.

Regiospecific analysis of lipidome in the brain from mammals of land and aquatic habitats-by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The brain is a complex organ demonstrated by the occurrence of specific types of functional lipids. Despite some studies focusing on providing the animal brain lipid signature, there are limited studies focusing on the comprehensive and regiospecific characterization of multiple animal brain lipidome. Herein we characterized about 294 lipid molecular species from six different lipid classes in different portions of the brain after fixation from mammals of different habitats, fully-aquatic (n = 6), semi-aquatic (n = 6), and terrestrial (n = 4), using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The untargeted brain lipid profiling revealed a significant difference in total lipid levels between fully-aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial mammals. The polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol esters are abundant in brain tissue of semi-aquatic followed by fully-aquatic mammals whereas phosphatidylethanolamines are profoundly high in terrestrial species. The regiospecific analysis revealed a predominance of sphingolipids in all the groups but no significant differences were observed between the different portions of the brain such as the cerebellum, cortex, pons, spinal cord, and thalamus. Interestingly the multivariate analysis showed almost the same lipid compositions in the spinal cord and thalamus of terrestrial mammals. Overall, this is the first report to compare the comprehensive brain-lipidome among different mammalian groups inhabiting three distinct habitats. These results indicate that the brain lipid composition is specific to the animal habitat.

Toward atomistic models of intact severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 via Martini coarse‐grained molecular dynamics simulations

AbstractThe causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is an enveloped virus assembled by a lipid envelope and multiple structural proteins. In this study, by integrating experimental data, structural modeling, as well as coarse‐grained and all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations, we constructed multiscale models of SARS‐CoV‐2. Our 500‐ns coarse‐grained simulation of the intact virion allowed us to investigate the dynamic behavior of the membrane‐embedded proteins and the surrounding lipid molecules in situ. Our results indicated that the membrane‐embedded proteins are highly dynamic, and certain types of lipids exhibit various binding preferences to specific sites of the membrane‐embedded proteins. The equilibrated virion model was transformed into atomic resolution, which provided a 3D structure for scientific demonstration and can serve as a framework for future exascale all‐atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A short all‐atom molecular dynamics simulation of 255 ps was conducted as a preliminary test for large‐scale simulations of this complex system.

The effects of molecular and nanoscopic additives on phospholipid membranes

Lipid bilayers—the main matrix of cell membranes—are a paradigm of soft molecular assemblies whose properties have been evolutionarily optimized to satisfy the functional requirements of cells. For instance, lipid bilayers must be rigid enough to serve as the protective barrier between cells and their environment, yet fluid enough to enable the diffusion of proteins and molecular clusters necessary for biological functions. Inspired by their biological multifunctionality, lipid membranes have also been used as a central design element in many practical applications including artificial cells, drug nanocarriers, and biosensors. Whether biological or synthetic, lipid membranes often involve molecular or nanoscopic additives that modulate the membrane properties through various mechanisms. Hence, how lipid membranes respond to additives has justifiably drawn much attention in recent years. This review summarizes findings and observations on different classes of additives and their effects on structural, thermodynamic, elastic, and dynamical membrane properties that are central to biological function or synthetic membrane performance. The review primarily focuses on phospholipids as a major component of cell membranes and a widely used lipid type in synthetic membrane designs.

Circulating FABP-4 Levels in Patients with Atherosclerosis or Coronary Artery Disease: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Cardiovascular diseases (CDs), notably coronary artery disease (CAD) due to atherosclerosis, impose substantial global health and economic burdens. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs), including FABP-4, have been recently linked to CDs. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine FABP-4 levels in CAD and atherosclerosis patients, exploring their potential links to these conditions. A systematic review and meta-analysis were done based on the PRISMA guideline. The international databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and UpToDate were searched to find all related studies on the effect of FABP-4 on patients with CAD or atherosclerosis which were published till June 2022 without language restriction. The Cochran's Q-test and I2 statistic were applied to assess heterogeneity, a random effect model was used to estimate the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD), a metaregression method was utilized to investigate the factors affecting heterogeneity between studies, and Egger's test was used to assess the publication bias. Of 1051 studies, 9 studies with a sample size of 2327 were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The level of circulating FABP-4 in the patient groups was significantly higher than in the control groups (SMD = 0.60 (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.91, I2: 91.47%)). The SMD in female and male patients were 0.26 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.52, I2: 0%) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.35, I2: 44.7%), respectively. There was considerable heterogeneity between the studies. The countries had a positive relationship with heterogeneity (coefficient = 0.29, p < 0.001); but BMI, lipid indices, gender, study design, and type of kit had no effect on the heterogeneity. No publication bias was observed (p: 0.137). In summary, this meta-analysis revealed elevated circulating FABP-4 levels in CDs, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for these conditions. Further research is warranted to explore its clinical relevance.

The Azotobacter vinelandii AlgU regulon during vegetative growth and encysting conditions: A proteomic approach.

In the Pseduomonadacea family, the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor AlgU is crucial to withstand adverse conditions. Azotobacter vinelandii, a closed relative of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has been a model for cellular differentiation in Gram-negative bacteria since it forms desiccation-resistant cysts. Previous work demonstrated the essential role of AlgU to withstand oxidative stress and on A. vinelandii differentiation, particularly for the positive control of alginate production. In this study, the AlgU regulon was dissected by a proteomic approach under vegetative growing conditions and upon encystment induction. Our results revealed several molecular targets that explained the requirement of this sigma factor during oxidative stress and extended its role in alginate production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AlgU was necessary to produce alkyl resorcinols, a type of aromatic lipids that conform the cell membrane of the differentiated cell. AlgU was also found to positively regulate stress resistance proteins such as OsmC, LEA-1, or proteins involved in trehalose synthesis. A position-specific scoring-matrix (PSSM) was generated based on the consensus sequence recognized by AlgU in P. aeruginosa, which allowed the identification of direct AlgU targets in the A. vinelandii genome. This work further expands our knowledge about the function of the ECF sigma factor AlgU in A. vinelandii and contributes to explains its key regulatory role under adverse conditions.

Do caregivers’ involvement in Type 2 diabetes education affect patients’ health outcomes?: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rising worldwide. Patients frequently struggle with controlling their diabetes and need the assistance of caregivers for effective self-management because managing diabetes requires a variety of strategies, including diet, glucose monitoring, and exercise. This study aimed to examine the effect of caregiver involvement in T2DM education within a community on patients’ diabetes care outcomes. Methods: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review of all published studies from the earliest record to May 2022 that reported adult caregivers of T2DM patients who participated in educational interventions concerning diabetes management and that reported one or more outcomes of the interventions were conducted. Four databases were used, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The meta-analysis focused on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with additional attention to lipid levels. Review Manager 5.4 was used to perform this meta-analysis. Results: A total of 17 out of 683 studies were synthesized. Involvement of caregivers in T2DM education is shown to reduce body mass index and HbA1c. This involvement also improves patients’ knowledge, physical activity, and self-efficacy, but the effect on medication adherence varies. A meta-analysis of six RCT studies shows that caregiver involvement in T2DM education reduced pooled HbA1c levels by 0.83 (95% Confidence interval: −1.27–−0.38) compared to involvement (p = 0.0003). Meta-analysis of three types of lipids (low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein) showed no strong evidence that caregiver participation in diabetes education improved lipid levels. Conclusions: Caregivers play key roles in diabetes management and can contribute to improving patient HbA1c levels. Future research should focus on enhancing caregiver participation in T2DM education.

Nanostructured lipid carriers loaded into in situ gels for breast cancer local treatment

In this study, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) were developed and employed to obtain in situ thermosensitive formulations for the ductal administration and prolonged retention of drugs as a new strategy for breast cancer local treatment. NLC size was influenced by the type and concentration of the oil phase, surfactants, and drug incorporation, ranging from 221.6 to 467.5 nm. The type of liquid lipid influenced paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity, with tributyrin-containing NLC reducing IC50 values by 2.0–7.0-fold compared to tricaprylin NLC in MCF-7, T-47D and MDA-MB-231 cells. In spheroids, the NLCs reduced IC50 compared to either drug solution (3.2–6.2-fold). Although a significant reduction (1.26 points, p < 0.001) on the health index of Galleria mellonella larvae was observed 5 days after NLC administration, survival was not significantly reduced. To produce thermosensitive gels, the NLCs were incorporated in a poloxamer (11 %, w/w) dispersion, which gained viscosity (2-fold) at 37 °C. After 24 h, ∼53 % of paclitaxel and 83 % of 5-fluorouracil were released from the NLC; incorporation in the poloxamer gel further prolonged release. Intraductal administration of NLC-loaded gel increased the permanence of hydrophilic (2.2–3.0-fold) and lipophilic (2.1–2.3-fold) fluorescent markers in the mammary tissue compared to the NLC (as dispersion) and the markers solutions. In conclusion, these results contribute to improving our understanding of nanocarrier design with increased cytotoxicity and prolonged retention for the intraductal route. Tributyrin incorporation increased the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil in monolayer and spheroids, while NLC incorporation in thermosensitive gels prolonged tissue retention of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds.

Blood Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Blood lipids have been considered critical risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The causal relationship between blood lipids (HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides) and cardiovascular disease remains uncertain despite negative and positive associations observed in observational studies, which are susceptible to confounding and reverse causation. This study aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between the three types of blood lipids and CVD using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) approach. Instrumental variables (IVs) representing independent genetic variants associated with HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides were derived from the UK Biobank consortium, encompassing genetic data from more than 400,000 individuals. Outcome data for CVD events, including heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and so on, were obtained from FinnGen consortium. TSMR analyses were conducted using various methods, such as inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted median estimator (WME), to explore the causal relationship between HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides levels and CVD events. The results from the Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses suggest a potential causal association between elevated HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides levels and CVD events, which indicates that increasing the level of HDL-C and restricting the level of LDL-C and triglycerides are possibly effective methods for the prevention of CVD.

Lipid rafts mediate multilineage differentiation of human dental pulp-derived stem cells (DPSCs).

Cell outer membranes contain glycosphingolipids and protein receptors, which are integrated into glycoprotein domains, known as lipid rafts, which are involved in a variety of cellular processes, including receptor-mediated signal transduction and cellular differentiation process. In this study, we analyzed the lipidic composition of human Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells (DPSCs), and the role of lipid rafts during the multilineage differentiation process. The relative quantification of lipid metabolites in the organic fraction of DPSCs, performed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, showed that mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were the most representative species in the total pool of acyl chains, compared to polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs). In addition, the stimulation of DPSCs with different culture media induces a multilineage differentiation process, determining changes in the gangliosides pattern. To understand the functional role of lipid rafts during multilineage differentiation, DPSCs were pretreated with a typical lipid raft affecting agent (MβCD). Subsequently, DPSCs were inducted to differentiate into osteoblast, chondroblast and adipoblast cells with specific media. We observed that raft-affecting agent MβCD prevented AKT activation and the expression of lineage-specific mRNA such as OSX, PPARγ2, and SOX9 during multilineage differentiation. Moreover, this compound significantly prevented the tri-lineage differentiation induced by specific stimuli, indicating that lipid raft integrity is essential for DPSCs differentiation. These results suggest that lipid rafts alteration may affect the signaling pathway activated, preventing multilineage differentiation.

What can be lost? Genomic perspective on the lipid metabolism of Mucoromycota

Mucoromycota is a phylum of early diverging fungal (EDF) lineages, of mostly plant-associated terrestrial fungi. Some strains have been selected as promising biotechnological organisms due to their ability to produce polyunsaturated fatty acids and efficient conversion of nutrients into lipids. Others get their lipids from the host plant and are unable to produce even the essential ones on their own. Following the advancement in EDF genome sequencing, we carried out a systematic survey of lipid metabolism protein families across different EDF lineages. This enabled us to explore the genomic basis of the previously documented ability to produce several types of lipids within the fungal tree of life. The core lipid metabolism genes showed no significant diversity in distribution, however specialized lipid metabolic pathways differed in this regard among different fungal lineages. In total 165 out of 202 genes involved in lipid metabolism were present in all tested fungal lineages, while remaining 37 genes were found to be absent in some of fungal lineages. Duplications were observed for 69 genes. For the first time we demonstrate that ergosterol is not being produced by several independent groups of plant-associated fungi due to the losses of different ERG genes. Instead, they possess an ancestral pathway leading to the synthesis of cholesterol, which is absent in other fungal lineages. The lack of diacylglycerol kinase in both Mortierellomycotina and Blastocladiomycota opens the question on sterol equilibrium regulation in these organisms. Early diverging fungi retained most of beta oxidation components common with animals including Nudt7, Nudt12 and Nudt19 pointing at peroxisome divergence in Dikarya. Finally, Glomeromycotina and Mortierellomycotina representatives have a similar set of desaturases and elongases related to the synthesis of complex, polyunsaturated fatty acids pointing at an ancient expansion of fatty acid metabolism currently being explored by biotechnological studies.

Skin lipids alone enable conspecific tracking in an invasive reptile, the Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae).

Locating potential mates in non-native habitats is one of the most important challenges faced by invasive vertebrate species. The Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) is a major invasive reptile species in the contiguous United States and is rapidly expanding its range across Florida and the Southeast, in part due to inadequate management strategies and tools. Because a wide array of reptiles, especially squamates (snakes and lizards), have been well-studied for their reliance on chemical cues to locate conspecifics, our project aimed to isolate chemical cues from tegus and assess the ability of adult males and females to use only these cues to make navigation decisions within a Y-maze. Previously, we found that both males and females can follow conspecific scent trails, but the nature of the specific cues used by the tegus was unknown. In this study, we extracted skin lipids from male and female shed skins acquired during the breeding season then tested the extracts for bioactivity at different dilutions prior to Y-maze trials. Both sexes showed positive reactions (e.g., tongue-flicking, nose taps, scratching) to 2:1 skin lipid:hexane dilutions. In the Y-maze, males (n = 7) and females (n = 7) were run in three types of trailing scenarios with these skin lipid extracts: Male-only (pooled lipid extracts from male shed skins), Female-only (extracts from female shed skins), and Male vs. female. Regardless of the tegu lipid type present, tegus preferred to follow the conspecific lipid trail when paired with a neutral control (peanut oil; 2:1 dilution). They also preferred opposite-sex skin lipid trails when paired with same-sex skin lipid trails. We analyzed our results further by comparing them to those of Richard, Bukovich, et al. (2020). We found a synchronization effect of the skin lipids: sex differences in behavior detectable in the scent trail trials were absent when only conspecific skin lipids were present in the environment. Our results indicate that skin lipids alone are sufficient to facilitate mate tracking in S. merianae, these chemical cues induce reliable behavior, and extracted skin lipids have potential for modifying movement patterns of an invasive reptile in their non-native range. If leveraged in concert with current tegu management strategies (i.e., trapping), extracted skin lipids have the potential to bolster management efficacy but field trials are a requisite next step.

Understanding the Mechanical Properties of Ultradeformable Liposomes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Improving drug delivery efficiency to solid tumor sites is a central challenge in anticancer therapeutic research. Our previous experimental study (Guo et al., Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 130) showed that soft, elastic liposomes had increased uptake and accumulation in cancer cells and tumors in vitro and in vivo respectively, relative to rigid particles. As a first step toward understanding how liposomes' molecular structure and composition modulates their elasticity, we performed all-atom and coarse-grained classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of lipid bilayers formed by mixing a long-tailed unsaturated phospholipid with a short-tailed saturated lipid with the same headgroup. The former types of phospholipids considered were 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (termed here DPMPC). The shorter saturated lipids examined were 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC), 1,2-didecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DDPC), 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC), and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). Several lipid concentrations and surface tensions were considered. Our results show that DOPC or DPMPC systems having 25-35 mol % of the shortest lipids DHPC or DDPC are the least rigid, having area compressibility moduli KA that are ∼10% smaller than the values observed in pure DOPC or DPMPC bilayers. These results agree with experimental measurements of the stretching modulus and lysis tension in liposomes with the same compositions. These mixed systems also have lower areas per lipid and form more uneven x-y interfaces with water, the tails of both primary and secondary lipids are more disordered, and the terminal methyl groups in the tails of the long lipid DOPC or DPMPC wriggle more in the vertical direction, compared to pure DOPC or DPMPC bilayers or their mixtures with the longer saturated lipid DLPC or DMPC. These observations confirm our hypothesis that adding increasing concentrations of the short unsaturated lipid DHPC or DDPC to DOPC or DPMPC bilayers alters lipid packing and thus makes the resulting liposomes more elastic and less rigid. No formation of lipid nanodomains was noted in our simulations, and no clear trends were observed in the lateral diffusivities of the lipids as the concentration, type of secondary lipid, and surface tension were varied.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ЛИПИДОМНОГО АНАЛИЗА В ДИАГНОСТИКЕ МЕТАБОЛИЧЕСКИХ НАРУШЕНИЙ

Lipid metabolism disorders play an important role in the development of a number of diseases associated with obesity. However, not all obese people have the traditional abnormal clinical plasma lipid levels, which is especially common in children and adolescents. Given this controversial relationship it is necessary to clarify the new lipid biomarkers in obesity. From this point of view, of particular interest is lipidomics, which allows identifying the diversity of different types of lipids presented in a cell, tissue, biological fluid or in the entire body using tandem mass spectrometry. The human lipidomic profile reflects lipid metabolism, including the early phase of pathophysiological changes associated with the formation of the obesity phenotype. Studying the connection between the lipidome and metabolic plasticity can provide new insight into the biological mechanisms of the development of obesity and its complications, the relationship between fat and carbohydrate metabolism in the development of insulin resistance, disruption of the functioning of intestinal incretins (cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and 2 etc.). From a public health perspective, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiological changes that lead to obesity at the earliest stage will have far-reaching promise for slowing the enormous global incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This bibliographical review was conducted using the PubMed, Google Scholar and Cyberleninka databases through 2013-2023 sources.

Bioactive Functions of Lipids in the Milk Fat Globule Membrane: A Comprehensive Review.

The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a complex tri-layer membrane that wraps droplets of lipids in milk. In recent years, it has attracted widespread attention due to its excellent bioactive functions and nutritional value. MFGM contains a diverse array of bioactive lipids, including cholesterol, phospholipids, and sphingolipids, which play pivotal roles in mediating the bioactivity of the MFGM. We sequentially summarize the main lipid types in the MFGM in this comprehensive review and outline the characterization methods used to employ them. In this comprehensive review, we sequentially describe the types of major lipids found in the MFGM and outline the characterization methods employed to study them. Additionally, we compare the structural disparities among glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and gangliosides, while introducing the formation of lipid rafts facilitated by cholesterol. The focus of this review revolves around an extensive evaluation of the current research on lipid isolates from the MFGM, as well as products containing MFGM lipids, with respect to their impact on human health. Notably, we emphasize the clinical trials encompassing a large number of participants. The summarized bioactive functions of MFGM lipids encompass the regulation of human growth and development, influence on intestinal health, inhibition of cholesterol absorption, enhancement of exercise capacity, and anticancer effects. By offering a comprehensive overview, the aim of this review is to provide valuable insights into the diverse biologically active functions exhibited by lipids in the MFGM.

Association of LDL-C level with neoatherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability in patients with late restenosis: an optical coherence tomography study

Neoatherosclerosis (NA) is a significant contributor to late stent failure; however, predictors of late in-stent restenosis (ISR) with NA have not been systematically reported. This study aimed to identify predictors of NA incidence and plaque vulnerability in patients with late ISR and the role of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in this process. A total of 216 patients with 216 lesions who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) before interventional procedure for late drug-eluting stent ISR were enrolled and divided into NA and non-NA groups based on OCT findings. Results showed that higher LDL-C levels were associated with NA, thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), intimal disruption, plaque erosion, and thrombosis. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the LDL-C level was an independent risk factor for NA and TCFA. The LDL-C levels exhibited a significant predictive value for NA and TCFA, surpassing other factors such as stent age and other lipid types. In conclusion, a high LDL-C level is an independent predictor of NA incidence and plaque vulnerability in patients with late ISR.