The plasmalogens are a class of glycerophospholipids which contain a vinyl-ether and an ester bond at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions, respectively, in the glycerol backbone. They constitute 10 mol% of the total mass of phospholipids in humans, mainly as membrane structure components. Plasmalogens are important for the organization and stability of lipid raft microdomains and cholesterol-rich membrane regions involved in cellular signaling. In addition to their structural roles, a subset of ether lipids are thought to function as endogenous antioxidants and emerging studies suggest that they are involved in cell differentiation and signaling pathways. Although the clinical significance of plasmalogens is linked to peroxisomal disorders, the pathophysiological roles and their possible metabolic pathways are not fully understood since they present unique structural attributes for the different tissue types. Studies suggest that changes in plasmalogen metabolism may contribute to the development of various types of cancer. Here, we review the molecular characteristics of plasmalogens in order to significantly increase our understanding of the plasmalogen molecule and its involvement in gastrointestinal cancers as well as other types of cancers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12944-018-0685-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Several studies have described important biological activities of flavonoids such as coronary heart disease prevention, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, enzyme inhibition activity, and antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities.
Background:Sepsis remains the primary cause of death from infection, despite advances in modern medicine. The identification of reliable diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of this disease is critical and may reduce the mortality rate as it could allow early treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the changes in the plasma and red cells blood lipidome profiling of patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock with the aim to identify potentially useful metabolic markers.Methods:Lipids from plasma and erythrocytes from septic patients (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20) were evaluated by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids fraction of erythrocytes was determined by gas chromatography. The data were treated with multivariate data analysis, including principal component analysis and (orthogonal) partial least squares discriminant analysis.Results:Potential biomarkers including lysophosphatidylcholines (lyso-PCs) and sphingomyelin (SMs) with specific fatty acid chains were identified. Both Lyso-PCs and SMs were downregulated, whereas the saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were upregulated in the plasma and erythrocytes of septic patients. An increase in oleic acid (C18:1 n-9) accompanied by a decrease in the unsaturation index as well as in the levels on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed in erythrocytes phospholipids patients as compared with healthy controls.Conclusions:These results suggest that lipidome profiling has great potential in discovering potential clinical biomarkers for sepsis and helping to understand its underlying mechanisms.
The flavonoids are mainly present in Citrus fruits as their glycosyl derivatives. This study was conducted comparing in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the aglycone hesperetin and its glycosylated forms (hesperidin and G-hesperidin) and their effects on the plasma lipid profile and the oxidative-antioxidative system (TBARS and antioxidant enzymes) in rats. The concentrations of the major conjugated metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of these compounds were also determined. Wistar male rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=6) supplemented for 30 days with 1 mmol/kg body mass of hesperetin, hesperidin or G-hesperidin. Hesperetin was a stronger xanthine oxidase inhibitor (IC50=53 μM and Ki=17.3 μM) than the glycosylate derivatives. Supplementation with the three compounds led to a lower (more favorable) atherogenic index, and an antioxidant preventive effect from the increase of hepatic superoxide dismutase was observed associated to HT supplementation, possibly because of the higher level of hesperetin-glucuronide in rat plasma.
To determine the prevalence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections among incarcerated adolescents in Salvador, Brazil, we interviewed 300 incarcerated youth aged 11-18 years to participate in a physical examination and to provide a blood sample to test for HIV-1, hepatitis B and C viruses exposure, human T-cells lymphotrophic virus, and syphilis. Overall prevalence was anti-HIV, 0.34%; anti-HBc, 11.1%; HBsAg, 2.4%; anti-HCV, 6.4%; HTLV, 1.09%; and syphilis, 3.4%. The majority (86.3%) reported a history of sexual activity; 27% had never used condoms. Girls also reported previous pregnancy (35%), abortion (26%) and sexual abuse (74%). Many youth reported a family history of alcohol abuse (56%), illicit drug use (24.7%), or legal problems (38%). Serological results show that youth in Salvador are at high risk for blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections. Policies to reduce the risk and impact of these infections should be a requisite part of health care for incarcerated youth.
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