Physiological and pathophysiological roles of lysophosphatidic acids produced by secretory lysophospholipase D in body fluids.

Abstract

Recently, a family of phospholipid mediators has received much attention because of its variety of biological activities. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a central member of the phospholipid autacoid family that exerts diverse effects through binding to and activation of several specific receptors coupled to G-proteins. In accordance with its function as a receptor agonist, there are pathways for extracellular generation of LPA in vivo. One pathway involves a novel lysophospholipase D activity that was originally found in rat plasma. LPA is also produced in significant amounts after incubation of various plasma-derived body fluids such as human follicular fluid at 25-37 degrees C. In animal models, LPA was shown to stimulate oocyte maturation, embryonic development and transport in the oviduct. An increase in serum lysophospholipase D activity was observed during pregnancy in human. These results suggest that LPA generated by lysophospholipase D is likely to play an important role in reproductive biology. LPA produced by lysophospholipase D activity in body fluids has also been observed under pathophysiological conditions: serum and ascitic fluid from ovarian cancer patients and serum from hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Hence, excess generation of LPA by lysophospholipase D activity in body fluids has been suggested to be relevant to the pathogenesis of cancer and atherosclerosis.

• Authors: Akira Tokumura
• Journal: Biochimica et biophysica acta (Biochim Biophys Acta) Vol. 1582 Issue 1-3 Pg. 18-25 (May 23 2002) ISSN: 0006-3002 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 12069806 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Lysophospholipids
• Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
• alkylglycerophosphoethanolamine phosphodiesterase

Topics

• Animals
• Blood Pressure
• Humans
• Lysophospholipids (biosynthesis)
• Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases (blood, metabolism)