title: Increased plasma concentrations of palmitoylethanolamide, an endogenous fatty acid amide, affect oxidative damage of human low-density lipoproteins: an in vitro study.
abstract: Fatty acid ethanolamides (NAEs) are naturally occurring hydrophobic molecules usually present in a very small amount in many mammalian tissues and cells. Moreover, these compounds have been isolated in mammalian biological fluids, such as blood. Palmitoylethanolamide (C16:0) (PEA) is a fully saturated NAE, which presents some possible pharmaceutical activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. PEA is physiologically present in the mammalian blood at concentrations ranging from 9.4 to 16.7 pmol/ml. Since increasing evidence indicates that oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is an important determinant in atherogenesis, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of physiologically relevant concentrations of PEA on Cu2+-induced LDL oxidation (measured as conjugated dienes formation). Our experiments indicate both anti-oxidative and slightly pro-oxidative effects of PEA. The anti-oxidative effect is obtained at low PEA concentrations (0.01 and 0.1 microM), while the pro-oxidative effect is obtained at a higher PEA concentration (1 microM). Fluorescence and circular dichroism data indicate that the effect of PEA occurs mainly by affecting the conformational features of ApoB-100.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biochimica, via Ranieri 65, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy. g.zolese@univpm.it
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zolese
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bacchetti
authors.forename: Annarina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambrosini
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferretti
mesh_terms: D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides; D053299:Apolipoprotein B-100; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007848:Laurates; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D053299:Apolipoprotein B-100; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007848:Laurates; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D009602:Nitrosamines; D010169:Palmitic Acids; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; C005958:palmidrol; D014364:Tryptophan; D015081:2-Naphthylamine; C031808:cupferron; C065580:laurdan