title: [The composition of phospholipid and biosynthesis of platelet-activating factor in earthworm (Eisenia foetida)].
abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) was for the first time confirmed to exist in a lower animal, earthworm (Eisenia foetida). It amounts to 10.7 +/- 6.1 pmol/g wet body weight, and varied seasonally. Phospholipid analysis revealed that 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine, a stored form of PAF precursor, accounted for 61.4% of the choline glycerophospholipids. Two kinds of enzyme activities operating in PAF generation in mammalian cells were also detected from this species. The PAF level increased markedly under some injurious stimuli such as cutting and pricking. The results suggest that PAF may be a primary mediator involved in pathological and physiological reactions even in lower animal like earthworm. The findings also cast a new light on the mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive and other effects of the Chinese medicinal earthworm, pheretima.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waku
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C036761:1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; D010743:Phospholipids; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor