Submitted on August 26, 2002
Revised on October 9, 2002
Accepted on October 14, 2002
Ethanolamine plasmalogens prevent the oxidation of cholesterol by reducing the oxidizability of cholesterol in phospholipid bilayers
Ryouta Maeba and Nobuo Ueta
Biochemistry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Tokyo 173-8605
Corresponding Author: maeba{at}med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
The aim of the present study are to establish an appropriate system for assessing the oxidizability of cholesterol in phospholipid bilayers, and to explore the effect of ethanolamine plasmalogens on the oxidizability of cholesterol with the system, through comparing with those of choline plasmalogens, phosphatidylethanolamine and antioxidant
-tocopherol. Investigation of the effects of oxidants, vesicle lamellar forms, the saturation level and constituent ratio of phospholipids in vesicles on cholesterol oxidation revealed the suitability of a system comprising unilamellar vesicles and the water-soluble radical initiator 2,2'-azobis (2-amidino-propane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). As cholesterol oxidation in the system was found to follow the rate law for autoxidation without significant interference from oxidizable phospholipids, the oxidizability of cholesterol in phospholipid bilayers could be experimentally determined from the equation: kp/(2kt)1/2=Rp/[LH]Ri1/2 by measuring the rate of cholesterol oxidation. It was found with this system that bovine brain ethanolamine plasmalogen (BBEP), bovine heart choline plasmalogen and egg yolk phosphatidylethanolamine lower the oxidizability of cholesterol in bilayers. Comparison of the dose-dependent effects of each phospholipid demonstrated the greatest ability of BBEP to reduce the oxidizability. A time course study of cholesterol oxidation suggested a novel mechanism of BBEP for lowering the oxidizability of cholesterol besides the action of scavenging radicals.