title: The lipid composition of human liver microsomes.
abstract: The lipid composition of human liver microsomes isolated from liver biopsy samples obtained at abdominal surgery has been determined. Human liver microsomal phospholipid is composed of 49% phosphatidylcholine, 31% phosphatidylethanolamine, 14% phosphatidylserine + phosphatidylinositol and 6% sphingomyelin, very similar to the phospholipid composition of rat liver microsomes. The fatty acid composition of human liver microsomes is remarkable only for its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with 20% of the fatty acids consisting of arachidonic, docosatetraenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. This value contrasts with 33% in rats and 9% in rabbits. The molar cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in human liver microsomes is 0.069, similar to the ratio in rat and rabbit microsomes.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D002784:Cholesterol