Platelet Fatty Acid Research Articles

Altered Platelet Fatty Acids in Dengue Cases by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Background: The role of dengue virus in altering the functional properties of platelets remains poorly understood. Few studies have observed that changes in fatty acids are found to have an effect on platelet activation and aggregation. Also, platelet fatty acids have not been extensively studied in dengue so far. So, we aimed to study the fatty acids of platelet membranes in patients with dengue. Methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was used to analyze fatty acids in the lipid extracts of platelets isolated from the study participants. Results: GC-MS analysis of platelet lipids identified and quantified nearly 23 unique lipid molecules on platelet membrane. We observed significant alterations with some of the fatty acids in patients with dengue compared to controls. Within dengue cases, increase in unsaturated fatty acids in severe dengue was observed compared to non-severe dengue. From baseline to defervescence, no difference in fatty acids was observed in dengue platelets. This indicates that in dengue, platelet physiology remains altered even after the febrile phase. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing the differential expression of platelet fatty acids in dengue infection. However, further studies are warranted to expound the underlying cause for thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction in dengue.

Did you know that your animals have consciousness?

Consciousness is the greatest enigma in human history. For centuries scientists and researchers have tried to describe it without coming to conclusions. In the last years with the neurosciences development, consciousness has become the common goal of numerous studies. But consciousness has always been studied only in humans, but after "Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness" in 2012, even non-human animalsthey feel possessed of the consciousness. According to "theory Orch-OR" of Hameroff and Penrose we have conducted a study on Alaskan malamute and German shepherd to analysed a triplet of platelet fatty acids (linoleic acid; palmitic acid; arachidonic acid). Through these analysis and the relative mapping of subjects within a SOM it was possible to make an assessment of the possible onset of mood disorders in the dogs. A critical analysis of the results obtained shows that animals have molecular analogies with humans compared to mood disorders. The German shepherd and Alaskan malamute, indeed, have, in the case of major depression, a bio-chemical profile, the most similar to man.

Platelet and plasmatic lipidic profile as potential marker of bipolar disorders: Preliminary findings

IntroductionAlthough the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is currently based on clinical criteria, preliminary studies showed that palmitic and arachidonic acid levels are able to discriminate adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from those with bipolar disorder (BD).ObjectivesTo replicate and to expand previous findings by investigating the relation between mood disorders and platelet and plasmatic fatty levels.AimsTo compare the lipidic profile of individuals with different mood disorder (MDD vs. BD) and to investigate the relation with specific clinical features (duration of illness, attempted suicide, psychotic symptoms).MethodsPotential participants were recruited from the outpatient and inpatient psychiatric units of the university hospital of Palermo (Italy). Diagnosis of DSM IV mood disorders was made using the MINI. Symptom severity was assessed using the HAM-D rating scale and the YMRS. Fatty acid profile was analyzed using mass spectrometry.ResultsPreliminary analyses were performed on 8 patients with MDD and 6 with BD. Groups were similar in terms of demographic variables. Patients with MDD showed highest levels of platelet palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidonic acid. Furthermore, plasmatic docosahexaenoic acid was negatively related with manic symptoms severity (Rho = –0.697; P = 0.025) and platelet alpha linolenic acid was positively related with illness duration (Rho = 0.845; P = 0.040).ConclusionsThese preliminary findings suggest that platelet fatty acids may be possible biological markers to improve the diagnosis of BD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Platelet Arachidonic Acid Deficiency May Contribute to Abnormal Platelet Function During Parenteral Fish Oil Monotherapy in a Piglet Model.

Fish oil monotherapy has been an advance for treating intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). However, such patients are at risk of bleeding complications from liver disease and because fish oil can inhibit thrombosis. We have previously reported abnormal platelet function in neonatal piglets given fish oil monotherapy during parenteral nutrition (PN). The purpose of this study was to determine if abnormal fatty acid composition of the platelets could explain the prior observed antiplatelet effect. Neonatal piglets were assigned to 2 treatments: PN with fish oil monotherapy (FO; n = 4) or PN with soy oil (SO; n = 5). On day 14, plasma was collected and platelets isolated by centrifuging. The fatty acid content in plasma and platelet plug were measured using gas liquid chromatography and compared with controls (CON; n = 5). The arachidonic acid (AA) content in the FO group was on average half that of the SO group, in both the platelets (FO, 3.5% vs SO, 7.6%; P = .021; CON, 4.5%-11%) and the plasma (FO, 3.8% vs SO, 9.2%; P = .002; CON, 6.1%-9.5%). No bleeding complications were observed for any piglets during PN treatment. Using platelet mapping, we have previously shown that neonatal piglets given fish oil monotherapy have abnormal platelet function in the AA pathway. This report demonstrates that such an abnormality can be explained by platelet AA deficiency. Platelet mapping and platelet fatty acid analysis should be undertaken in human infants treated with fish oil monotherapy during PN.

Mood Psychopathologies: An Integrated Complexity-Based Interpretation

If the mechanistic-reductionist cognitive approaches have been characterised by the metaphor of the “edifice”, of the solid Cartesian rock, all the forms of knowledge founded on complexity theory have been characterised by the metaphor of the “network”, of thinking in relationships, in a dynamic, fluid, open manner. In the field of mental illness, this means setting aside both the organicist paradigm and the pseudo-phenomenological, “sentimentalistic”, and therefore ideological, paradigm, in order to have an integrated view of biological objectiveness and humanistic psychotherapy. That is to say, an expression of diverse interrelated contributions from the various disciplines (psychiatry, psychology, biochemistry, anthropology, quantum physics, mathematics, philosophy). The observer thus becomes a builder of models, a manager of complexity, giving treatment the character of a truly empathic relationship. This is all the more so where distressing pathologies are involved, such as Major Depression (MD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD), caput mortuum of psychiatry, because the absence of cogent biological markers seriously compromises every form of therapy. Hence the identification of a biological platform (fatty acids of platelets) as a starting point for a correct classification of MD with respect to BD.

Platelet’s Fatty Acids and Differential Diagnosis of Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder through the Use of an Unsupervised Competitive-Learning Network Algorithm (SOM)

Aim of the study: The main purpose of this work was to verify, through the study of three fatty acids of platelets (namely: Palmitic Acid—PA, Linoleic Acid—LA, Arachidonic Acid—AA) the ability to distinguish adult subjects with Major Depression (MD) from those with Bipolar Disorder (BD), using an artificial neural network (Self Organizing Map—SOM) and an indirect index of the viscosity of the membrane (B2), in agreement with previous results; secondly, the ability to understand any similarities between children and adults in the molecular characterization of mood disorders, both in general and in relation to a subset of individuals with suicidal ideation, indicated by the survey instruments used (SOM). Design: The study design, in order to achieve the objectives, has forecast the recruitment of three groups of subjects without regard to sex, age, food intake patterns, or pharmacological therapies: 1) Controls; 2) Subjects with Major Depression; 3) Subjects with Bipolar Disorder. They were provided for the following investigations: 1) Platelet Fatty Acids analysis; 2) Plasma and platelet serotonin levels; 3) Oxidative stress and inflammation markers. Moreover, the data of the fatty acids of platelets, previously obtained by a group of children were used, for comparison, in the SOM, with adults surveyed. Subjects participating in the study: All participants, volunteer, were recruited in the judgment of psychiatrists as they presented themselves to the office visit of the “Dipartimento di Salute Mentale”, ASUR 4, Fano, Italy. All subjects were submitted to a semi-structured interview based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and Hypomania/Mania Symptom Checklist (HCL-32) were also applied to each patient. Adult subjects who did not give consent, patients with a diagnosis other than an affective disorder and subjects in their first clinical episode were excluded. The study was double blind. Outcomes: The results obtained have confirmed the main objective of the study. It was possible to obtain, in fact, the recognition of individuals with Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder, using the SOM and the index B2. Value of the study: The methodology used in this study may be of utility, such as quantitative diagnostic support to the psychiatrist, in order to reduce the high error that occurs in the first diagnosis, with regard to mood disorders. Limitations of this study: The limitations of this study are mainly related to the number of controls. They should have been more numerous such as the number of suicidal ideations. About the comparison with children, the main limitation seems to be the lack of psychiatric diagnosis of children, so that any results just assume the value of hypotheses. Future Research: Because of the strong classificatory properties of the SOM, it would require a RCT in a larger sample of subjects with mood disorders with the aim of assessing whether it is possible to identify subgroups of subjects with respect to the classical psychiatric classification and corresponding to different therapies. The same is for suicidal ideation.

178 20-HETE CONTRIBUTES TO THE BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION FOLLOWING OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTATION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Background and Objectives: Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3FA), specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are protective against cardiovascular disease. n-3FA have multiple biological effects including benefits on blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to determine whether the reduction in 24-h ambulatory BP following supplementation with n-3 FA in patients with chronic kidney disease (1), was related to changes in the cytochrome P450 metabolite 20-HETE, a regulator of vascular tone and BP, and implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Design and Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention, patients were randomized to either n-3FA (4 g), coenzyme Q10 (200 mg), both supplements, or control (4 g), daily for 8 weeks. All measures including 24-h ambulatory BP, plasma 20-HETE and F2-isoprostanes, and platelet fatty acids were recorded at baseline and after 8 weeks. Results: n-3FA, but not coenzyme Q10, reduced 24-h ambulatory BP by -3.3±0.7/-2.9 ± 0.5 mmHg (both P<0.0001). n-3 FA significantly reduced plasma 20-HETE by 28% (1217 ± 72 to 876 ± 69 pmol/L). Plasma 20-HETE levels were lower in females than males (P = 0.004) and significantly related to platelet EPA (b = -108.0, P = 0.013) and arachidonic acid (b = 20.7, P = 0.008), and plasma F2-isoprostanes (b = 0.7, P<0.0001). The fall in BP was positively associated with the reduction in plasma 20-HETE in regression analyses that adjusted for baseline BP (24-h SBP, P = 0.018 and 24-h DBP, P = 0.028). Conclusion: Reduced 20-HETE may play an important role in mediating the fall in BP following n-3 FA supplementation in patients with chronic kidney disease. Reference: Mori TA, et al. J Hypertension 2009;27:1863.

The Interactome Hypothesis of Depression

It has long been known that the most important function of platelets is to stop the flow of blood from wounds with the help of a set of enzymes, proteins, and lipids supporting complex metabolic clot-forming mechanisms. It is also known that there are close correlations, both enzymatic and metabolic, between platelets and nerve cells with respect to the metabolism of several neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, GABA, etc. Platelets, which serve an historic role as biological markers in psychiatry, can in fact be regarded as virtual circulating or ambassadors” that may offer a significant advantage in understanding the neurophysiology of psychiatric disorders including depression. Critical points of potential specific linkage between platelets and depression include serotonin and membrane platelet fatty acids in relation to the cytoskeletal quantum-nanowire network. This paper advances an “interactome” hypothesis of possible connections among enterochromaffin cells, serotonin, platelets and cytoskeletal proteins related to brain neurons with implications regarding the genesis of depressive psychopathology.

Red meat from animals offered a grass diet increases plasma and plateletn-3 PUFA in healthy consumers

Red meat from grass-fed animals, compared with concentrate-fed animals, contains increased concentrations of long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA. However, the effects of red meat consumption from grass-fed animals on consumer blood concentrations of LC n-3 PUFA are unknown. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects on plasma and platelet LC n-3 PUFA status of consuming red meat produced from either grass-fed animals or concentrate-fed animals. A randomised, double-blinded, dietary intervention study was carried out for 4 weeks on healthy subjects who replaced their habitual red meat intake with three portions per week of red meat (beef and lamb) from animals offered a finishing diet of either grass or concentrate (n 20 consumers). Plasma and platelet fatty acid composition, dietary intake, blood pressure, and serum lipids and lipoproteins were analysed at baseline and post-intervention. Dietary intakes of total n-3 PUFA, as well as plasma and platelet concentrations of LC n-3 PUFA, were significantly higher in those subjects who consumed red meat from grass-fed animals compared with those who consumed red meat from concentrate-fed animals (P < 0·05). No significant differences in concentrations of serum cholesterol, TAG or blood pressure were observed between groups. Consuming red meat from grass-fed animals compared with concentrate-fed animals as part of the habitual diet can significantly increase consumer plasma and platelet LC n-3 PUFA status. As a result, red meat from grass-fed animals may contribute to dietary intakes of LC n-3 PUFA in populations where red meat is habitually consumed.

Bio Molecular Considerations in Major Depression and Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease

In our study we have evaluated the theme of the platelet fatty acid composition in subjects with a clinical diagnosis of Major Depression (MD), in subjects with a clinical diagnosis of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) according to the coronary angiography and in control subjects. We have analyzed all the groups without taking in account therapies, gender and age. As far as we know, the platelet fatty acid composition has never been analyzed before, in MD. The results obtained with the Self Organizing Map (SOM) show the evidence of three fatty acids, Arachidonic Acid (AA), Linoleic Acid (LA), and Palmitic Acid (PA) in a peculiar position with respect to the biochemical characterization of MD and three fatty acids, Arachidonic Acid (AA), Linoleic Acid (LA) and Oleic Acid (OA) in a peculiar position with respect to the biochemical characterization of the IHD. Bio molecular considerations are made about the possibility of controlling positive changes in platelet viscosity, in both pathologies.

The benefits of hormone replacement therapy on plasma and platelet antioxidant status and fatty acid composition in healthy postmenopausal women

Oxidative stress is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Various hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protocols are used to reduce the CVD risk in postmenopausal women. Recent studies found that HRT lowers lipid levels and improves vascular endothelial function in postmenopausal women. In this study the effects of HRT on plasma and platelet membrane fatty acid composition and the oxidant-antioxidant system in postmenopausal women are investigated. Blood samples were obtained from 50 postmenopausal women. Before starting treatment, all participants underwent clinical, biochemical and hormonal screening procedures including gynecologic and physical breast examination. Then oral HRT (2 mg estrodiol valerate + 1 mg cyproterone acetate) were given to all subjects for 1 year. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total thiol (t-SH) and fatty acid contents, activities of glutathione-Stransferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured before and after treatment. Platelet membrane palmitic, stearic and oleic acid contents decreased (6.5%, 22.5% and 21.9% respectively) and linoleic and arachidonic acid contents increased (21.2% and 25.4% respectively) after HRT. Platelet MDA, GST and SOD levels were lower and t-SH content was higher than pre-treatment levels. These results indicate that hormone replacement therapy may affect platelet membrane fatty acid content and oxidant-antioxidant balance in postmenopausal women.

Venous thrombosis risk: Effects of palm oil and hydrogenated fat diet in rats

Objective We tested whether diets containing partially hydrogenated fat (PHVO, rich in trans fatty acids) or palm oil (PO, rich in saturated fat—C16 palmitic fatty acid) had different effects on the propensity for venous thrombosis, a marker of haemostatic cardiovascular risk. Methods Female Wistar rats were fed normolipidic diets containing PHVO or PO during lactation, and their young male pups were fed the same diets from weaning until the 180th day of life. We evaluated platelet fatty acid composition, serum lipids, platelet aggregation, clotting time, and venous thrombus formation. Results A significant and cumulative incorporation of trans fatty acid was observed only in the platelet lipids from the PHVO group, associated with an increased sensitivity to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and venous thrombus formation in vivo. Platelets from rats raised on the PO diet also exhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP and an increase in venous thrombus weight, with a concomitant increase in serum triglycerides. Conclusion The prolonged replacement of dietary hydrogenated fat by PO impaired platelet aggregability and venous thrombosis, suggesting an increased risk of thromboembolic diseases.

Red meat from animals offered a grass diet increases platelet n–3 PUFA in healthy consumers

Red meat produced from grass-fed animals, compared with that produced from concentrate-fed animals, contains increased concentrations of long chain (LC) n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ( 1,2 ) . The LC n‐3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are recommended in dietary quantities of ‡450mg/d for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) ( 3 ) . The aim of this study was to compare the effects of consuming red meat produced from either grass-fed animals, or concentrate-fed animals on platelet LC n‐3 PUFA status. A randomised, double-blind, dietary intervention study was carried out for 4 weeks on two groups of healthy male and female subjects, who replaced their habitual red meat intake with three portions per week of red meat produced from animals offered a finishing diet of either grass (n = 18 consumers) or concentrate (n = 20 consumers). Meat was sourced from beef cattle (n = 8) and lambs (n = 44) offered a finishing diet of strictly grass or concentrate for a period of 6 weeks prior to slaughter. The weekly meat portions for consumers included one sirloin steak (200 g), one portion of mince beef (250 g) and four lamb medallions (240 g). Dietary intake, blood pressure, platelet fatty acid composition and serum lipids and lipoproteins were analysed at baseline and post-intervention. Consumer platelet concentrations of EPA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), DHA and total LC n‐3 PUFA were significantly higher in those subjects who consumed red meat from grass-fed animals compared to those who consumed red meat from concentrate-fed animals (P <0.05). No significant differences in concentrations of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols (TAG) or blood pressure were observed between groups. The consumption of red meat, in amounts below the weekly limit recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund ( 4 ) , from grass-fed animals compared to concentrate-fed animals significantly increased consumer platelet LC n‐3 PUFA status. Therefore, red meat from grass-fed animals may contribute appreciable amounts of dietary LC n‐3 PUFA in populations where red meat is habitually consumed, which in turn would be beneficial for human health. Further research is needed about on-farm conditions to optimise grass-fed meat on a financially feasible commercial basis.

Platelet and Brain Fatty acid transfer: Hypothesis on Arachidovic Acid and its relationship to Major Depression

Depression may be linked to changes of the fatty acid profile in many biological districts such as platelets, plasma phospholipids, rat brain and red blood cells. The platelet is one of the most extensively researched biological markers in psychiatry. In an animal model of depression, the high level of arachidonic acid, found in the brain, in platelets and in other biological material indicated a possible relationship between platelets and brain. For this purpose we investigated platelet fatty acid composition in humans (vein and artery) and in pigs (vein and brain). The findings are consistent with the hypothesis, in the case of Arachidonic Acid, of a specific link between the two districts (platelets and brain) and of the existence of particular conditions which can cause a dangerous accumulation of Arachidonic Acid within the brain.

Platelet and Brain Fatty acid transfer: Hypothesis on Arachidovic Acid and its relationship to Major Depression

Depression may be linked to changes of the fatty acid profile in many biological districts such as platelets, plasma phospholipids, rat brain and red blood cells. The platelet is one of the most extensively researched biological markers in psychiatry. In an animal model of depression, the high level of arachidonic acid, found in the brain, in platelets and in other biological material indicated a possible relationship between platelets and brain. For this purpose we investigated platelet fatty acid composition in humans (vein and artery) and in pigs (vein and brain). The findings are consistent with the hypothesis, in the case of Arachidonic Acid, of a specific link between the two districts (platelets and brain) and of the existence of particular conditions which can cause a dangerous accumulation of Arachidonic Acid within the brain.

Do mood disorders play a role in pig welfare?

The work examines the hypothesis that the behavioural disorders found in pigs under conditions of stress may also be attributable to inherent conditions of alteration in mood.In light of new evidence that links the biochemical characterization of human depression to a particular profile of fatty acids in platelets, in particular the Palmitic Acid, Linoleic and Arachidonic, the decision was made to investigate platelet fatty acids of different animal species (pig, cattle, cat, sheep), together with the same data found in literature for rats and guinea pigs.The results obtained from normal and depressed human subjects have made it possible to achieve a particular Artificial Neural Network called the Self Organizing Map (SOM).This network, which is also used in the classification of some species (pigs, cattle, cats and sheep), has been utilised to distribute and classify all the animals studied, in agreement with the fatty acid markers of depressive disorder and the degree of saturation of membrane lipids.In agreement with this approach, the pig is comparable to humans that present a clinical diagnosis of depression. A critical analysis of specific references indicates the existence of a wide range of similarities between human beings suffering from depression and pigs. All the results we obtained on platelets, together with bibliographic evidence make plausible, in our view, the hypothesis that the pig is an animal intrinsically prone to depression. This tendency, which is probably genetically predetermined, must be taken into account in studies on the welfare of this animal and could also serve as a good model for the study of antidepressant molecules for humans.

The use of artificial neural networks to study fatty acids in neuropsychiatric disorders

BackgroundThe range of the fatty acids has been largely investigated in the plasma and erythrocytes of patients suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders. In this paper we investigate, for the first time, whether the study of the platelet fatty acids from such patients may be facilitated by means of artificial neural networks.MethodsVenous blood samples were taken from 84 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of major depressive disorder and from 60 normal control subjects without a history of clinical depression. Platelet levels of the following 11 fatty acids were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance: C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1 n-9, C18:1 n-7, C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-3, C20:3 n-3, C20:4 n-6 and C22:6 n-3. The results were then entered into a wide variety of different artificial neural networks.ResultsAll the artificial neural networks tested gave essentially the same result. However, one type of artificial neural network, the self-organizing map, gave superior information by allowing the results to be described in a two-dimensional plane with potentially informative border areas. A series of repeated and independent self-organizing map simulations, with the input parameters being changed each time, led to the finding that the best discriminant map was that obtained by inclusion of just three fatty acids.ConclusionOur results confirm that artificial neural networks may be used to analyze platelet fatty acids in neuropsychiatric disorder. Furthermore, they show that the self-organizing map, an unsupervised competitive-learning network algorithm which forms a nonlinear projection of a high-dimensional data manifold on a regular, low-dimensional grid, is an optimal type of artificial neural network to use for this task.

Comparison of changes in erythrocyte and platelet phospholipid and fatty acid composition and protein oxidation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma

Objective: To analyse and compare the phospholipid and fatty acid composition of total lipids and the occurrence of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation directly in erythrocytes or platelets from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma patients.Patients: Fifteen consecutive outpatients with COPD (all smokers) and asthma (non-smokers) recruited during a moderate-to-severe (COPD) or moderate (asthma) exacerbation. Fifteen subjects with smoking habits similar to those of COPD patients were studied as a control group.Methods: Phospholipid and total fatty acid compositions were analysed by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography or gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, respectively. The lipid fluorescence of lipid extracts was measured by spectrofluorimetry. Protein carbonyl contents and profiles were measured by immunoblot detection.Results: No differences were found either in erythrocyte or platelet cholesterol or phospholipid levels. Only a decrease in the content of phosphatidylserine + phosphatidylinositol (P < 0.003) was detected in platelets from the asthma patients. In erythrocytes, the fatty acid profile changed in both lung pathologies, especially as regards polyunsaturated fatty acids (decreases in arachidonic and 22:4 fatty acid contents). Other observed changes were: COPD, an increase in palmitic fatty acid; asthma, an increase in oleic and decreases in eicosapentaenoic and 22:6 + 24:1 fatty acids. In platelets, the fatty acid profiles revealed many differences between both lung pathologies: COPD, a decrease in 18:1 and increases in 20:5 and 22:5 + 24:0; asthma, a decrease in 20:4 and increase in 22:6 + 24:1. In COPD vs. asthma patients, fatty acid changes were mainly detected in platelets, especially in 18-carbon species, with decreases in stearic and 18:1 fatty acids in the COPD patients. Protein oxidation levels were increased in both lung pathologies in both erythrocytes and platelets.Conclusions: COPD and asthma are associated with common or specific changes in the lipid composition of erythrocytes and/or platelets. The data point to lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation phenomena in both types of blood cell, although platelets would be more susceptible to stress.

Biological, biochemical and mathematical considerations about the use of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for the study of the connection between platelet fatty acids and major depression. Technical report

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Comparison of Changes in Erythrocyte and Platelet Fatty Acid Composition and Protein Oxidation in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The formation of free radicals and lipid peroxidation products is linked both to carcinogenesis and tumor behavior. Blood samples from 50 patients with advanced (Stages III–IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and from 50 healthy volunteers were used for plasma β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) measurements, red blood cell (RBC) and platelet lipid analyses, and lipid fluorescence determinations. Samples from 15 randomly selected patients and 15 controls also were used for analysis of the expression of oxidized proteins. We observed: (a) higher levels of plasma β-TG in patients, (b) alterations in membrane fatty acids. The RBC fatty acid profile changed especially in the 18-carbon species (increases in stearic and oleic and a decrease in linoleic fatty acids), and in arachidonic acid, which also decreased significantly. The platelet fatty acid profile mainly showed a decrease in arachidonic acid and a parallel increase in palmitic fatty acid; (c) the loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in RBC and platelets could be correlated with changes in lipid extract fluorescence only for platelets; (d) protein oxidation levels were increased also only in the case of platelets. The changes detected point to platelet activation and lipid peroxidation processes associated with NSCLC. The oxidative stress affected RBC and platelets differently, although changes in PUFA might still have important physiological consequences in both types of cells.