The association of lysophosphatidylcholine with isolated cardiac myocytes

The ability of exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine to produce electrophysiological derangements and cardiac arrhythmias in the heart has been documented. The action of lysophosphatidylcholine is thought to be mediated via its association with the membrane. The present study examined the nature of the association of lysophosphatidylcholine with isolated rat myocyte membrane. The association was studied by incubating myocytes in a lysophosphatidylcholine-containing medium. The association of lysophosphatidylcholine with the myocyte sarcolemma was not affected by palmitic acid and glycerophosphocholine but was reduced by platelet-activating factor (PAF). The addition of albumin (5 mg/mL) at the end of the incubation period effectively removed the lysophosphatidylcholine from the myocytes. Our results suggest that most of the lysophosphatidylcholine in isolated myocytes was associated preferentially with the outer leaflet of the myocyte sarcolemma. This type of association might be responsible for the lysophosphatidylcholine-induced electrophysiological alterations in the heart.