Phosphatidylcholines (F.), the formula of which is shown in the picture below, are a class of phospholipids that include choline as a head group.
They are the main component of biological membranes. They can be easily obtained from various readily available sources, such as egg yolk or soybeans, from which they are extracted mechanically or chemically using hexane. They are also part of the lecithin group of yellowish-brownish fatty substances found in animal and plant tissues. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (e.g. lecithin) is a major component of pulmonary surfactant and is often used in the L / S ratio to calculate fetal lung maturity. Although these substances are found in all plant and animal cells, they are absent in the membranes of most bacteria, including Escherichia coli. Purified are commercially available.
Etymology
The name “lecithin” was originally defined from the Greek “lecith” (λεκιθος, that is, egg yolk) by Theodore Nicolas Gobley, a French chemist and pharmacist in the mid-19th century, who applied it to egg yolk phosphatidylcholine. It was he who identified him in 1847.
Gobli eventually fully described lecithin from a chemical structural point of view in 1874. In some contexts, the terms phosphatidylcholine / lecithin are used synonymously. However, lecithin extracts consist of a mixture of F. and other compounds. It is also used together with sodium taurocholate to simulate nutritionally and fasting bio-relevant media in studies of the dissolution of high lipophilic drugs.
Localization
The formula of phosphatidylcholine is the main component of cell membranes and pulmonary surfactant and is more common in the exoplasmic or outer membrane of the cell membrane.
F. also plays a role in membrane-mediated cell signaling and PCTP activation of other enzymes.
Phospholipid phosphatidylcholine consists of a group of choline and glycerophosphoric acid with various fatty acids. This is usually a saturated fatty acid (it can be palmitic or hexadecanoic acid, H3C- (CH2) 14-COOH; margarine identified by Gobley in egg yolk, or heptadecano H3C- (CH2) 15-COOH, which also belongs to this class) or unsaturated fatty acid (oleic, or 9Z-octadecenoic, as in the original goblet egg yolk lecithin).
Catalysis
Phospholipase D catalyzes the hydrolysis of the formula phosphatidylcholine to form phosphatidic acid (PA), releasing a soluble choline head group into the cytosol.
F. is a neutral lipid, but it carries an electric dipole moment of about 10 D. The vibrational dynamics of phosphatidylcholine and its hydration waters has recently been calculated from first principles.
F. is a vital substance contained in every cell of the human body. Some researchers used models of mutant mice with severe oxidative damage as an accelerated aging model to investigate the possible role of phosphatidylcholine structural formulas as a way to slow aging-related processes and improve brain functioning and memory capacity in dementia. However, a systematic review of clinical trials in humans in 2009 showed that there was insufficient evidence to support the use of lecithin or F. for patients with dementia. The study showed that moderate benefits cannot be ruled out until further large-scale studies are conducted.
Benefits
Studies have explored the potential benefits of the phosphatidylcholine structural formula for liver repair. The results were carried out on animals, and no clinical data indicate benefits to human health. One study showed the beneficial effect of F. on mice with hepatitis A, B, and C. The introduction of F. in chronic active hepatitis led to a significant decrease in the activity of the disease in rodents.
Promotion
Some organizations promote the use of injected F., also known as injection lipolysis, arguing that the procedure can break down fat cells and thus serve as an alternative to liposuction. While early experiments did not show any amount of lipolysis, even remotely comparable to liposuction. It has been reported that injections of phosphatidylcholine in a small number of patients reduce or completely eliminate many types of lipomas, although some of them actually increase in size. There were side effects that went away without any particular complications. Long-term studies are considered necessary for evaluating effectiveness. Dr. Patrick Tracy has successfully used F. and deoxcholate in the treatment of infraorbital fatty pads.
Phases
Phase IIa / b of clinical trials conducted at the University Hospital of Heidelberg showed that purified delayed-release phosphatidylcholine is an anti-inflammatory and surface hydrophobic. It has promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
In a 2011 report, microbial catabolites of phosphatidylcholine were associated with increased atherosclerosis in mice due to the production of choline, trimethylamine oxide and betaine.
Although there are more ways for biosynthesis of F., one of them predominates in eukaryotes. It involves a condensation reaction between diacylglycerol (DAG) and cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline or citicoline), mediated by the enzyme diacylglycerol-cholinphosphotransferase. Another notable pathway in some tissues (mainly in the liver) is the phased methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which is a methyl group donor.
In the cells
Phosphatidylcholine is a key component of our cells. Supplementation can improve mental, liver and intestinal health, protect nerves and improve memory. F. injections are also used to reduce fat. Learn more about its benefits, dosage and side effects.
Phosphatidylcholine levels may decrease with age. For example, in the brain there is a decrease of 10% between 40 and 100 years.
Since choline is necessary for the production of phosphatidylcholine, low levels of choline may limit its production. Its deficiency can reduce the level of phosphatidylcholine in the liver, which leads to liver failure. Phosphatidylcholine is also responsible for the production of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) [R, R].
Low levels of F. are associated with memory loss and Alzheimer's disease. A study (DB-RCT) of 80 healthy young people showed that the addition of a phosphatidylcholine lipolytic improves memory.
F. increases the level of choline and acetylcholine in the brain, improves memory and protects the brain in mice with dementia.
Very low phosphatidylcholine deoxycholate levels can cause liver damage and even death in mice. Animal studies have shown that F. can promote liver regeneration.
Low levels of choline and phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylserine can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans.
Further study
A study (DB-RCT) using a combination of treatment with milk thistle (silybin) and F. showed a significant improvement in the functioning of liver enzymes, the appearance of insulin resistance and an increase in the functionality of liver tissue in 179 patients with non-alcoholic organ fatty disease.
Choline supplements increase the organophosphatidylcholine / phosphatidylethanol (PE) ratio. This can prevent the progression of the disease and increase the chance of survival after liver surgery.
The study (DB-RCT) of 176 patients showed that F. helped treat chronic hepatitis C (but not B).
Another study (DB-RCT) of 15 patients showed that the use of phosphatidylcholine helped treat chronic hepatitis B.
However, F. was not effective in the treatment of acute viral hepatitis in a study of 22 patients.
The breakdown of fats includes the breakdown of triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. F. increases the production of the gamma receptor PPAR, responsible for the breakdown of fats.
Application
Injection and synthesis of phosphatidylcholine directly into adipose tissue can cause fat breakdown and can be used as an alternative to surgery. They are also able to help with lipomas, benign tumors caused by the accumulation of fat [R, R, R].
A study (RCT) of 13 women showed that injections of phosphatidylcholine reduce the amount of fat in the body and can be used with an intervention to reduce weight.
Treatment with phosphatidylcholine reduced the inflammation and leukocyte response associated with rat arthritis.
Dietary F. partially eliminated the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in mice and reduced inflammation.
Prenatal supplementation of phosphatidylcholine can contribute to normal brain function in the fetus and reduces the risk of developing mental illness.
Influence
In a study (RCT) of 100 pregnant women, the addition of F. ensured proper development of the fetal brain and prevented a delay in certain areas of the brain development in fetuses that were genetically susceptible to schizophrenia.
A study of a specific case of a bipolar boy showed that adding F. improved sleep and helped to cope with the symptoms of hypomania (a mild form of mania, which is a period of euphoria or intense arousal).
In one study, high levels of hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in the white matter of the brain were associated with bipolar disorder. However, another study of 104 adults showed no changes in F. levels between people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or healthy people.
In four studies (DB-RCT) of 316 patients with ulcerative colitis, it was found that the addition of phosphatidylcholine reduces the severity of the disease and improves the quality of life. It also reduced corticosteroid dependence in patients taking them.
Studies (RCTs) of 345 healthy subjects showed that F. protects the stomach from damage caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
It was also determined that phosphatidylcholine reduces the toxicity of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and increases their therapeutic properties in rats.
F.'s injections directly into fatty processes can cause inflammation or tissue death (necrosis). The safety of long-term use is unclear. Pregnant women and people with heart and kidney diseases, uncontrolled diabetes or hypothyroidism, infections that are active or previous autoimmune should avoid injecting phosphatidylcholine directly into fat growth.
Side discharge
By-products of dietary F. include choline, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), and betaine, which increase the risk of atherosclerosis (arterial seal), coronary heart disease, stroke, and other heart diseases. Basically, TMAO increases the risk of heart disease, but choline and betaine produce TMAO. However, the relationship between TMAO and cardiovascular disease is controversial and is still discussed in the scientific literature. Supplements of phosphatidylcholine can increase the level of triglycerides in the blood. However, in 26 healthy men, F. reduced homocysteine levels, which are a potential risk factor for heart disease.
There are no human trials to confirm some of the benefits of supplement F. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm its benefit.
Phosphatidylcholine can be administered in capsules, tablets, and injections. In clinical studies, various oral doses of F. were used in the range from 0.5 g to 4 g per day for 12 weeks. Injections of phosphatidylcholine to reduce fat contain from 40 to 60 cubic meters.
Effect on the liver
One user reported that using F. for several years completely changed his liver, and returned high rates to normal. Another user reported that within almost two months, belly fat had decreased significantly.
Another user in his review wrote that he was twice delivered by ambulance due to mesotherapy using this substance.
Some take phosphatidylcholine to improve memory. And very pleased with the results.