• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.46-52
• /
• 1994

Recently it is reported that RBC membrane fluidity decreases and RBC calcium levels increase with age. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in lipid and calcium metabolism with age, and to seek relationship of diet and metabolism. With clinically normal Korean adults(male 60, female 63), this study was carried out in three phases : 1) to analyze fatty acid percentage of RBC membrane, 2) to analyze calcium levels of RBC with age, and 3) to compare the effects of dietary fatty acid intake on blood fatty acid profiles. The results are as follows : The P/S ratio of RBC membrane fatty acid decreased with age. The RBC calcium content increased according to age, with women having a higher level than men. The higher intake groups of linolenic acid(C18:3) has statistically higher serum linolenic acid levels. But dietary effects of membrane fatty acid were not found. Therefore, the further research to seek the possible relationship of diet and membrane fatty acid should be continued.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.22 no.9
• /
• pp.979-983
• /
• 2001

Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus is a strictly anaerobic and thermophilic bacterium whose optimum temperature ranges over $65-68^{\circ}C.$ T. ethanolicus was known to contain a bipolar very long chain fatty acyl component such as $\alpha$, $\omega-1316-dimethyloctacosanedioate$, as one of the major membrane components. However, exact physiological role of this unusual component in the membrane remains unknown. Such a very long chain fatty acyl component, $\alpha$, ${\omega}-1316-dimethyloctacosanedioate$, dimethyl ester (DME C30), was isolated, and purified from the membrane of T. ethanolicus. As a function of added concentrations of the $\alpha$, $\omega-1316-dimethyloctacosanedioate$, dimethyl ester (DME C30) or cholesterol into the standard liposomes, the acyl chain ordering effect was investigated by the steady-state anisotropy with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) as a fluorescent probe. Acyl chain order parameter (S) of vesicles containing DME C30 is higher comparing with phosphatidylcholine (PC) only vesicles. This result was discussed thermodynamically with the aid of the simulated annealing molecular dynamics simulations. Through the investigation of all the possible conformational changes of DME C30 or cholesterol, we showed that DME C30 is very flexible and its conformation is variable depending on the temperature comparing with cholesterol, which is rigid and restricted at overall temperature. We propose that the conformational change of DME C30, not the configurational change, may be involved in the regulation of the membrane fluidity against the changes of external temperature.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.209-217
• /
• 1990

Intramolecular excimer formation with 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)propane (Py-3-Py) and fluorescence polarization with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were used to evaluate the effects of barbiturates on the bulk fluidity of the model membranes of phosphatidylethanolamine fraction of synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMVPE) isolated from bovine cerebral cortex. In the SPMVPE, barbiturates decreased the excimer to monomer fluorescence intensity ratio (I'/I) of Py-3-Py and increased the fluorescence polarization (P), anisotropy (r), limiting anisotropy $(r_{8})$, order parameter (S) and rotational relaxation time $({\bar{P}})$ of DPH in a dose-dependent manner. The relative potencies of barbiturates to order the SPMVPE were in the order: pentobarbital > hexobarbital > amobarbital > phenobarbital. Hence, it is concluded that barbiturates have ordering effects on the SPMVPE. And the membrane-ordering potencies of barbiturates appear to be correlated with the potencies for enhancement of GABA-stimulated chloride influx and with the anesthetic effects of barbiturates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.382-390
• /
• 2020

Periplanetasin-4 is an antimicrobial peptide with 13 amino acids identified in cockroaches. It has been reported to induce fungal cell death by apoptosis and membrane-targeted action. Analogs were designed by substituting arginine residues to modify the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions accordingly and explore the effect of periplanetasin-4 through the increase of net charge and the decrease of hydrophobicity. The analogs showed lower activity than periplanetasin-4 against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Similar to periplanetasin-4, the analogs exhibited slight hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes. Membrane studies, including determination of changes in membrane potential and permeability, and fluidity assays, revealed that the analogs disrupt less membrane integrity compared to periplanetasin-4. Likewise, when the analogs were treated to the artificial membrane model, the passage of molecules bigger than FD4 was difficult. In conclusion, arginine substitution could not maintain the membrane disruption ability of periplanetasin-4. The results indicated that the attenuation of hydrophobic interactions with the plasma membrane caused a reduction in the accumulation of the analogs on the membrane before the formation of electrostatic interactions. Our findings will assist in the further development of antimicrobial peptides for clinical use.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.323-327
• /
• 1993

The effect of soyasaponin on the liposomal phospholipid membrane was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Soyasaponins were obtained and the enthalpy changes and the sizes of cooperative unit of the transition were calculated. The thermograms of L-$\alpha$-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) incorporated with soyasaponin showed that the phase transition temperature was significantly lowered and the peak was broadened. This was attributed to the possibility that incorporation of soyasaponin into the lipid bilayers reduced the cooperative unit of phospholipid bilayers. These results indicate soyasaponin might have significant effect on the fluidity of biological membrane.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.191-199
• /
• 1992

Selective quenching of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) by trinitrophenyl groups was utilized to examine the transbilayer fluidity asymmetry of model membranes of total lipids (SPMVTL) extracted from synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV). The polarization (P), anisotropy (r), limiting anisotropy $(r_{\infty})$, and order parameter (S) of DPH in the inner monolayer were 0.031, 0.025, 0.033, and 0.070, respectively, greater than calculated for the outer monolayer of SPMVTL. Selective quenching of DPH by trinitrophenyl groups was also utilized to examine the effects of n-alkanols on the individual monolayer structure of SPMVTL. n-Alkanols fluidized the hydrocarbon region of bulk SPMVTL, and the potencies of n-alkanols up to 1-nonanol increased with carbon chain length. It appears that the potencies in bilayer fluidization increase by 1 order of magnitude as the carbon chain length increases by two carbon atoms. The cut-off phenomenon was reached at 1-decanol, where further increase in hydrocarbon length resulted in a decrease in pharmacological activity. The n-alkanols had greater fluidizing effects on the outer monolayer as compared to the inner monolayer of SPMVTL, even though these selective effects tended to become weaker as carbon chain length increased. Thus, it has been proven that n-alkanols exhibit selective rather than nonselective fluidizing effects within transbilayer domains of SPMVTL.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.131-139
• /
• 1994

Calcein-encapsulated small unilamellar vesicles of various lipid composition were prepared using the sonication technique, and their stabilities at $20^{\circ}C$ were examined by measuring calcein leakage from the liposomes. The fluidity of these liposomal bilayers was also investigated by measuring the fluorescence polarization of DPH labelled into the liposomes. The results showed that liposomes made of PC mixtures with different acyl chain length were very stable, which may be due to the formation of interdigitated bilayer structure. The addition of cholesterol further stabilized these PC liposomes. However, addition of cholesterol reduced the encapsulation efficiences of liposomes. The fluidity of the liposomes was significantly decreased by cholesterol in the liquid crystalline state, but not changed in the gel state. These results suggest that the enhanced stability of PC mixture liposomes may be ascribed to the formation of stable interdigitated bilayer structure. In membrane-mimetic and drug-delivery studies, vesicles made of mixtures of various phospholipids are recommended instead of addition of cholesterol to the phospholipid.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.152-161
• /
• 1992

Selective quenching of 1, 6-diphenyl-1, 3, 5-hexatriene (DPH) by trinitrophenyl groups was utilized to examine the transbilayer fluidity asymmetry of model membranes of phospholipids (SPMVPL) extracted from synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV). The polarization (P), anisotropy (r), limiting anisotropy $(r_\infty$), and order parameter (S) of DPH in the inner monolayer were 0.019, 0.014, 0.018, and 0.047, respectively, greater than calculated for the outer monolayer of SPMVPL. Selective quenching of DPH by trinitrophenyl groups was also utilized to examine the effects of n-alkanols on the individual monolayer structure of SPMVPL. n-Alkanols fluidized the hydrocarbon region of bulk SPMVPL and the potencies of n-alkanols up to 1-nonanon increased with carbon chain length. It appears that the potencies in bilayer fluidization increase by 1 order of magnitude as the carbon chain length increases by two carbon atoms. The cut-off phenomenon was reached at 1-decanol, where further increase in hydrocarbon length resulted in a decrease in pharmacological activity. The n-alkanols had greater fluidizing effects on the outer monolayer as compared to the inner monolayer of SPMVPL, even though these selective effects tended to become weaker as the carbon chain length increased. Thus, it has been proven that n-alkanols exhibit selective rather than nonselective fludizing effects within transbilayer domains of SPMVPL.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.181-184
• /
• 1988

The effect of clover saponin on the phase transition of liposomal lipid bilayers of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry. The thermograms of the liposomal bilayers incorporated with the clover saponin were obtained, and the enthalpy changes and the sizes of cooperative unit of the transition were calculated. The results showed that incorporation of the clover saponin into the liposomal bilayers effectively reduced the transition temperature at which the transition from solid state to liquid-crystalline state occurs, and broadened the thermogram peaks. It also reduced the size of cooperative unit of the transition. These results indicate that the clover saponin might have significant effect on the fluidity of biological membranes.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.430-438
• /
• 1999

This study was designed to investigate the effects of sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) extract and fucoidan components on chronic degenerative diseases. Sprague-Dawley(SD) male rats (210$\pm$5g) were fed experimental diets: Dasi-Ex group: dasima extract powder of 4.0% added to control diet; Fuco-I, II and III groups: fucoidan powder of 1, 2 and 3% added to Dasi-Ex group for 45 days. Triglyceride (TG) levels in serum were significantly lower (10~15%) in Fuco-I, II and III groups compared with control group. Total cholesterol levels were significantly decreased (7~10% and 15~ 35%) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of Fuco-II and III group compared with control group. LDL-cholesterol levels were remarkably decreased (20~30%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups, but HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased (10~12%) in Fuco-II and III groups only compared with control group. The ratios of HDL/total cholesterol resulted in a marked increase (3 5~55%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups, but atherogenic indices were remakably decreased (40~50%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups compared with control group. Membrane fluidities were remarkably increased (45~70% and 38~42%, respectively) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of Fuco-II and III groups compared with control group. Administrations of fucoidan added to dasima effectively decreased TG, total and LDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index, while also effectively increased HDL-cholesterol, HDL/total cholesterol ratio, and membrane fluidity, suggesting chronic degenerative diseases were very effectively prevented by the administration of fucoidan component.