Comparison of phospholipid profiles of primary adenocarcinoma in the lung and other organs

Miscibility and interactions of animal and plant sterols with choline plasmalogen in binary and multicomponent model systems

In this work miscibility and interactions of sterols with choline plasmalogen (PC-plasm) in Langmuir monolayers were studied. Moreover, the properties of cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine/plasmalogen mixtures of different PC-plasm concentration were investigated. The foregoing systems were treated as a model of cancer cell membranes, which are of higher plasmalogen level than normal cells. Finally, the influence of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol (phytosterols differing in anticancer potency) on these mixtures was verified. The properties of monolayers were analyzed based on the parameters derived from the surface pressure-area isotherms and images taken with Brewster Angle Microscope. It was found that at 30% of sterol in sterol/plasmalogen monolayer the lipids are immiscible and 3D crystallites are formed within the film. Cholesterol molecules mix favorably with PC-plasm at Xchol ≥ 0.5, while the investigated phytosterols only at their prevailing proportion in binary system. The increase of choline plasmalogen in cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine monolayer causes destabilization of the system. Moreover, the incorporation of phytosterols into cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine+PC-plasm mixtures disturbed membrane morphology and this effect was stronger for β-sitosterol as compared to stigmasterol. It was concluded that the presence of vinyl ether bond at sn-1 position in PC-plasm molecule strongly affects miscibility of choline plasmalogen with sterols. The comparison of the collected data with those reported in literature allowed one to conclude that miscibility and interactions of sterols with PC-plasm are less favorable than those with phosphatidylcholine. It was also suggested that overexpression of plasmalogens in cancer cell membranes may be a factor differentiating sensitivity of cells to anticancer effect of phytosterols.

The effect of β-sitosterol on the properties of cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine/ganglioside monolayers--the impact of monolayer fluidity

In this paper the influence of one of phytosterols, namely β-sitosterol on cholesterol (Chol)/phosphatidylcholine (PC)/ganglioside (GM3) monolayers was examined to find the correlation between the properties of model system and the effect of phytocompound. The studied monolayers differed in condensation and fluidity, which were modified by the structure of phosphatidylcholine. It was found that the incorporation of β-sitosterol into cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine/ganglioside films changes their morphology, condensation and interactions between the lipids. The substitution of cholesterol more strongly decreased the condensation and stability of the film containing PC molecules having monounsaturated chains than more densely packed monolayer composed of saturated phosphatidylcholine. However, thorough analysis of data obtained so far suggests that the magnitude of β-sitosterol effect is determined by the composition of the system rather than its fluidity itself. Moreover, the results collected herein correlate well with the findings that phytosterol more strongly inhibits the growth of cancer cells, which at a given proportion of cholesterol to phospholipids in membranes, have more unsaturated fatty acids within phospholipids molecules.

Differentiation between healthy thyroid remnants and tumor tissue after radioiodine therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma using in vitro phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy

BACKGROUND

The growth and spread of many tumors are triggered by changes in cell membrane metabolism, which can lead to systemic alterations in levels of phospholipids. We sought to determine whether plasma levels of several phospholipids could differentiate between healthy remnants of thyroid tissue and residual tumor tissue or metastases in patients with thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

We measured plasma phospholipid levels by phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in blood samples from 30 patients with thyroid cancer who had been rendered hypothyroid in preparation for diagnostic or therapeutic administration of iodine-131. All patients had undergone total thyroidectomy. Iodine-131 whole-body scintigraphy and measurements of thyroglobulin values during up to 3 years of follow-up were used to distinguish patients in remission from those with only healthy thyroid remnants and those with tumor tissue or metastases.

RESULTS

Mean (+/- SD) levels of sphingomyelin (0.33 +/- 0.06 mmol/L vs. 0.46 +/- 0.03 mmol/L, P <0.0001) and phosphatidylcholine (1.34 +/- 0.19 mmol/L vs. 2.15 +/- 0.33 mmol/L, P <0.0001) were significantly lower in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer (n = 8) than in patients (n = 12) who were in remission. Patients with only remnants of thyroid tissue (n = 10) also had significantly lower phospholipid levels than did patients in remission, but significantly greater levels that did patients with tumor tissue or metastases.

CONCLUSION

These preliminary results suggest that 31P-MRS may be useful in helping to differentiate the presence of tumor tissue, remnants of thyroid tissue not requiring further treatment, and remission in patients with thyroid cancer.

Prostate cancer vs hyperplasia: relationships with prostatic and adipose tissue fatty acid composition

The objective of the present study was to study whether adipose tissue and prostatic tissue fatty acid composition differentiates between prostate cancer and benign hyperplasia patients. In addition, the present investigation aimed at exploring the extent to which prostatic tissue fatty acid composition differentiates between prostate-confined cancer and extraprostatic disease including possible metastasis. The subjects were 71 male patients from the island of Crete. Half the patients (n=35) had been diagnosed with benign hyperplasia of the prostate, half with prostatic malignancy (n=36). Patients were examined at the outpatient clinic of the urology unit, University Hospital, Medical School, University of Crete. Relative to benign hyperplasia patients, cancer patients had elevated adipose tissue saturated and reduced monounsaturated fatty acid levels. Cancer patients had reduced prostate tissue stearic to oleic acid ratios and stearic acid levels as opposed to hyperplasia patients. The most pronounced difference between cancer patients and hyperplasia patients was a 3-fold elevated prostatic palmitoleic acid in the former group. Relative to benign hyperplasia patients, cancer patients had reduced prostate tissue arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid levels. Finally, there was a significantly reduced omega-3/omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in the prostate cancer patient as opposed to the benign hyperplasia group. The pronounced elevations in prostatic tissue palmitoleic acid in cancer patients highlight a possible role of this fatty acid in neoplastic processes. The decreased arachidonic acid levels in cancer patients possibly stem from enhanced metabolism of arachidonic acid via lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways, and the formation of derivatives such as 5-HETE, 15-HETE, 12(S)-HETE and PGE(2).

Differentiation of primary or metastatic lung carcinoma by phospholipid analysis. A new approach for lung carcinoma differentiation

Phospholipid analyses were performed on lung adenocarcinoma tissues from three patients who had undergone thoracotomy with a previous malignancy of the rectum or colon. The carcinomas were histologically difficult to differentiate as being primary or metastatic. The phospholipid profiles of the lung carcinomas in these cases were significantly different from those of primary lung adenocarcinoma, but were very similar to those of primary adenocarcinomas of the rectum or colon, suggesting that these carcinomas are metastatic. Therefore, the findings support the idea that phospholipid analysis of a tumor occurring in the lung could be very useful for differentiating whether such a tumor is primary or metastatic. The value of phospholipid analysis in assessing such tumors is emphasized as a new approach for differentiating lung carcinoma.

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of diacylglycerol acetates to quantitate disaturated species of lung phosphatidylcholine

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation of diacylglycerol acetates to quantitate disaturated species of lung phosphatidylcholine (PC) was studied. The diacylglycerol acetates were applied on a reversed phase column, eluted by an isocratic solvent, acetonitrile/isopropanol/water (35:15:1, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min, and detected by differential refractometry (RI). This isocratic HPLC method was useful to separate disaturated species from the others of lung PC. The quantitative analysis of the molecular species separated by HPLC was studied by RI detection. Chromatograms obtained by RI detection and radioactivity determination of diacylglycerol [3H]acetates prepared by [3H]acetic anhydride were almost identical. The RI detector responded in the same degree for different authentic standards of diacylglycerol acetates. The detection limit with RI detection was about 30 nmoles. Molecular species of PCs from human lung and carcinoma tissues were analyzed by this HPLC method. The contents of disaturated species were very similar to those reported previously. These results indicate that RI detection is very useful in the nmole range for the quantitative analysis among the molecular species containing disaturated species.

Phospholipid content and composition of human meningiomas

The content and distribution of phospholipids, as well as their fatty acid composition, were studied in 16 human meningiomas in comparison with normal leptomeninges. The total phospholipid content of tumors (expressed as organic phosphorus/mg DNA) was similar to that of the tissue from which they originated. The same phospholipid classes were present in both tissues, but with a different pattern: an increase of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine and a decrease of sphingomyelin and alkenyl-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine were detected in meningiomas. Stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids were the major phospholipid fatty acids in both leptomeninges and meningiomas. However, remarkable differences between the fatty acid composition of the two tissues were shown. The most striking difference is a marked increase of unsaturated fatty acids in tumors associated with a decrease of saturated forms. This feature is common to all major phospholipid classes. The possible significance and role of phospholipid modifications in the functional properties of meningioma plasma membrane is discussed.

A case of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Ultrastructural and lipid-biochemical studies

A case of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was studied electron microscopically and lipid biochemically. Electron microscopic examination revealed that the tumor was composed of three different types of cells, undifferentiated cells, cells possessing lamellar inclusion bodies within the cytoplasm, and cells containing mucus droplets. The characteristic findings in the phospholipid profiles of this case of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were a high content of saturated classes of phosphatidylcholine, especially of the dipalmitoyl type, and the occurrence of appreciable amounts of phosphatidylglycerol. These observations indicate that some of the tumor cells examined in this study had the characteristic feature of alveolar type II cell differentiation which is responsible for production of pulmonary surface-active materials. The value of phospholipid analysis in assessing such tumors is emphasized.

Source of lung surfactant phospholipids: comparison of palmitate and acetate as precursors

The phospholipids and the fatty acid compositions of major phospholipids in rat lung parenchyma, microsomes, lamellar bodies and alveolar wash were quantified. Adult rats were injected simultaneously with [3H]palmitate and [14C]acetate into the femoral vein. The appearance of labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC), desaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in each lung fraction was measured during short periods of time (5 min to 2 hr) after isotope administration. Relatively more PC, DSPC and PG labeled with acetate radioactivity in lung microsomes entered lamellar body and alveolar wash fractions than those labeled with palmitate radioactivity. However, there was no difference between palmitate and acetate labeled phospholipids in the transport from microsomes to lamellar bodies by phospholipid exchange proteins. On the other hand, prior injection of colchicine resulted in decrease in the transport of PC from microsomes to alveolar space to a relatively greater extent in the acetate radioactivity than in the palmitate radioactivity.