Comparison of fatty acid contents of the neutral and phospholipids of the trematode Paramphistomum cervi and liver of its host, Capra hircus

Impact of chronic psychological stress on platelet membrane fatty acid composition in a rat model of type 1 diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Chronic stress and diabetes mellitus are highly associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, resulting in cell membrane disruption and platelet activity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of chronic psychological stress on the composition of the platelet phospholipid membrane and platelet activation in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

METHODS

We enrolled 35 mature healthy female Wistar rats and randomly divided them into 4 groups, namely the control group (n = 9), stress group (n = 10), T1DM group (n = 8), and T1DM + Stress group (n = 8). The Wistar rats were treated in different experimental conditions for 28 days while being provided free access to feed and water. The concentration of corticosterone in blood serum and hair samples was measured using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was conducted to identify the methyl esters of fatty acids (FAs) in the platelet phospholipid membrane. A quantitative determination of 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 in the blood serum was also performed using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

After 28 days, the concentration of corticosterone in blood serum (ng/mL) was observed to be higher in the stress group as compared to the T1DM and T1DM + Stress groups (P = 0.031 and P = 0.008, respectively). The percentage of C 16:0 FA in the platelet membrane was greater in the T1DM + Stress group, but its levels of C 20:1 omega (ω) 9 FA, including C 18:3ω3 FA, C 20:5ω3 FA, and the total sum of ω3 FAs, were lower as compared to the control group (P = 0.016; P = 0.016; P = 0.031; P = 0.016, P = 0.031). The concentration of 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 in blood serum (pg/mL) was observed to be higher in the stress group than in rats with T1DM (P = 0.063).

CONCLUSION

Chronic psychological stress is related to higher levels of corticosterone, saturated FAs acids in the platelet membrane, and greater platelet activation. This study proves how a low percentage of unsaturated fatty acids in the DM and stress groups indicates the disturbing impact of the oxidative/inflammatory environment to lipid metabolism and neuroendocrine response.

Variation in lipid and fatty acid uptake among nematode and cestode parasites and their host, domestic fowl: host-parasite interaction

Lipid synthesis is an important process in most organisms as well as in helminths. The present observation shows the variation of lipid and fatty acid uptake among cestode, Raillietina (Fuhrmannetta) echinobothrida; nematode, Ascaridia galli and their host, Gallus domesticus, the common country fowl. Total lipid (TL), neutral lipid (NL), glycolipid (GL), phospholipid (PL) and their fatty acid of cestode, nematode and liver and intestinal fluid of the host were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and gas liquid chromatography respectively. The result shows that liver take more TL, PL and GL except NL. Utilization of lipid from intestinal fluid when compare between the parasites, it is found that TL and PL content of cestode are higher than nematode, whereas, nematode absorbs more NL and GL than cestode. The percent of cholesterol is more in cestode than nematode. Palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic are the predominant fatty acids among all the samples. The present study reveals that the cestode having large surface area is more opportunistic in the resource utilization over the nematode as well as the host.