Regional Membrane Phospholipid Alterations in Alzheimer's Disease

• Published in: Neurochemical research Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 81 - 88
• Main Authors: Prasad, M. Renuka, Lovell, Mark A, Yatin, Mustafa, Dhillon, Harbhajan, Markesbery, William R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.01.1998; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Arachidonic Acid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Docosahexaenoic Acids - metabolism; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - metabolism; Female; Hippocampus - metabolism; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Lipids - metabolism; Neurology; Oleic Acid - metabolism; Phosphatidylcholines - metabolism; Phosphatidylethanolamines - metabolism; Phosphatidylinositols - metabolism; Phospholipids - metabolism; Stearic Acids - metabolism; Human; Nervous system diseases; Phosphatidylethanolamine; Alzheimer disease; Central nervous system; Phospholipid; Lipids; Free fatty acid; Cerebral disorder; Phosphatidylinositol; Central nervous system disease; Phosphatidylcholine; Degenerative disease; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0364-3190; 1573-6903
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1022457605436

Regional levels of membrane phospholipids [phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC)] were measured in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and control subjects. The levels of PE-derived and PI-derived total fatty acids were significantly decreased in the hippocampus of AD subjects. Here significant decreases were found in PE-derived stearic, oleic and arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, and in PI-derived oleic and arachidonic acids. In the inferior parietal lobule of AD subjects, significant decreases were found only in PE and those decreases were contributed by stearic, oleic and arachidonic acids. In the superior and middle temporal gyri and cerebellum of AD subjects, no significant decreases were found in PC-, PE- and PI-derived fatty acids. The decrease of PE and PI, which are rich in oxidizable arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, but not of PC, which contains lesser amounts of these fatty acids, suggests a role for oxidative stress in the increased degradation of brain phospholipids in AD.