The Study on Phospholipid Structure in Arterial Walls

Fatty acids attached to β-position of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PEA) in the intima, media and atherosclerotic plaque of human arterial wall were splitted by phospholipase A and fatty acid compositions at α- and β-position of PC and PEA were measured. From these data, their molecular distributions were calculated. Results were as follows: (1) The heterogeneity of fatty acid moiety in α- and β-positions of PC and PEA in the intima, media and atherosclerotic plaque was present. (2) Major molecules of PC were dipalmitoyl-PC, 1-palmito-2-oleoyl-PC and 1-palmito-2-linoleyl-PC in the intima, dipalmitoyl-PC and 1-palmito-2-oleoyl-PC in the atherosclerotic plaque and 1-palmito-2-oleoylPC, 1-stearo-2-oleoyl-PC, 1-palmito-2-linoleyl-PC and dipalmitoyl-PC in the media. (3) Major molecules of PEA were 1-stearo-2-palmitoyl-PEA in the intima, 1-stearo-2-palmitoyl-PEA and dipalmitoyl-PEA in the atherosclerotic plaque and 1-stearo-2-arachidonyl-PEA in the media. (4) Disaturated PC and PEA were found comparatively rich in the atherosclerotic plaque.