Lysophosphatidylcholine: A Possible Modulator of Ischemic Injury in the Heart

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is an amphiphilic metabolite produced from phosphatidylcholine, a membrane phospholipid, by activation of phospholipase A2, which accumulates in the heart during ischemia and reperfusion. Because of its amphiphilic property, LPC is readily incorporated into the lipid bilayers of the cell membrane, changing the physicochemical property of the cell membrane and thereby affecting the enzymes and ion channels embedded in the membrane. Recent studies have revealed that exogenous LPC produces mechanical and metabolic derangements in the perfused working heart and also induces Ca2+ overload in the isolated cardiac myocyte, suggesting that LPC possesses an ischemia-like deleterious effect on the heart. In this chapter, we review the deleterious effects of LPC on the myocardium and isolated cardiomyocytes. Further, we discuss the possible mechanisms of action of drugs that can protect the heart against LPC-induced myocardial damage.