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Effect of intravenous polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine infusion on insulin receptor processing and lipid composition of erythrocytes in patients with liver cirrhosis
Author(s) -
CANTAFORA A.,
MASELLA R.,
ANGELICO M.,
GANDIN C.,
BLOUNT R. J.,
PETERSON S. W.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1992.tb01446.x
Subject(s) - phosphatidylethanolamine , phosphatidylcholine , polyunsaturated fatty acid , phospholipid , phosphatidylserine , arachidonic acid , insulin , endocrinology , medicine , chemistry , linoleic acid , insulin receptor , fatty acid , biochemistry , biology , insulin resistance , membrane , enzyme
. The aim of this study was to determine whether insulin receptor processing capabilities of human erythrocytes could be improved by changing the cell membrane lipid composition using an intravenous infusion of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine. Thirteen cirrhotics were submitted to the i.v. infusion of phosphatidylcholine (2 g day ‐1 for 3 days). Both erythrocyte lipid composition and insulin receptor processing ability were examined at the beginning of the study and at 0, 3 and 11 days after the end of the treatment. This treatment decreased the erythrocyte cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio and increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly linoleic acid) immediately after the end of the treatment. The proportion of arachidonic acid increased immediately in the phosphatidylserine class and, a few days later, also in phosphatidylethanolamine. The phospholipid class distribution did not show any relevant modification in the course of the study. Surface insulin receptors, which generally were up‐regulated in the untreated subject (— 7.1±20.4%), showed an improvement in down regulation capabilities that appeared to be well correlated with the changes in lipid composition of cell membranes induced by i.v. infusion of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine. The confirmation of these findings also in target cells for insulin may open new perspectives in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.