Researchers Identify a New Approach for Lowering Harmful Lipids
Sep 3, 2015
Research May Lead to Better Means of Controlling ‘Bad Cholesterol’
Brooklyn, NY – Xian-Cheng Jiang, PhD, professor of cell biology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, has led a study identifying a new approach for lowering "bad" lipids in blood circulation, a critical means to combat devastating cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. The research was published in the online edition of Gastroenterology.
The team established that an enzyme called LPCAT3 (Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3) is involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC), a type of compound lipid that is a major component of cell membranes. Dr. Jiang found that LPCAT3 deficiency significantly reduces polyunsaturated PC levels in the plasma membrane of the cells that line the intestines, which in turn reduces lipid absorption and decreases levels of lipids (cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid) in circulation.
“Hyperlipidemia, or high levels of lipids, is a common disease and contributes significantly to cardiac related morbidity and mortality,” explains Dr. Jiang. “Statin drug trials have provided the major evidence for the benefits of a therapy that lowers low density lipoprotein (LDL), the so called ‘bad cholesterol,’ and statin therapy is now the mainstay of clinical management of cardiovascular disease. However, there are many instances in which patients do not respond to or cannot tolerate statins.”
Because of this, there is an urgent need for additional approaches to lower plasma lipid, preferably acting synergistically with statins.
“Our study is intended to provide a novel approach to reduce the ‘bad’ lipids in the blood. Although the study was conducted in a mouse model, the outcomes may be applicable to humans,” adds Dr. Jiang.
An abstract of the article,
Li Z, Jiang H, Ding T, Lou C, Bui HH, Kuo M-S, Jiang X-C, Deficiency in Lysophosphatidylcholine Acyltransferase 3 Reduces Plasma Levels of Lipids by Reducing Lipid Absorption in Mice, Gastroenterology (2015), doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.07.012.,
is available here: http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(15)01006-9/abstract.
The research was supported by the following grants: VA Merit 000900-01 (PI: Xian-Cheng Jiang) from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; NIH-R56HL121409 (PI: Xian-Cheng Jiang) from the National Institutes of Health; and Scientist Development Grant 10SDG4040054 from the American Heart Association (PI: Zhiqiang Li). The content of the published article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or other funders.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.