title: Abnormality of very long-chain fatty acids of erythrocyte membrane in alcoholic patients.
abstract: Profiles of very long-chain fatty acids were studied in the erythrocyte membrane of five alcoholic patients. We identified three fatty acids as cis-16-pentacosenoic acid (C25:1), cis-17-hexacosenoic acid (C26:1), and hexacosenoic acid (C26:1), and hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ratios of C26:1/C22:0, C26:0/C22:0, C24:1/C22:0, and C24:0/C22:0 were increased. These findings suggest that active oxygen species or free radicals generated by chronic alcohol consumption in alcohol patients interrupt the peroxisomal beta-oxidation of fatty acids, because very long-chain fatty acids are mainly metabolized by the peroxisomal beta-oxidation system. This is the first study showing accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane of alcoholic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamichi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tatsuno
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000502:physiology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids