Fatty acid oxidation and myocardial phospholipase A2 activity

Cis-unsaturated fatty acids, but not saturated fatty acids, inhibited phospholipase A2 activity (PLA2) in vitro, and may function as endogenous suppressors of lipolysis. To probe the possible role of lipid peroxidation in the regulation of myocardial lipid catabolism, a neutral-active and Ca2+-dependent PLA2 was extracted from rat heart and was partially purified by sulfopropyl cation exchange chromatography. Myocardial PLA2 activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids; the IC50 for arachidonic acid was approx 65 microM. Palmitic acid was not inhibitory. When arachidonic acid was incubated at 37 degrees C, exposed to air, there was a time- and pH-dependent peroxidation of the arachidonic acid as monitored by turbidity, thiobarbituric acid reactivity, and thin layer chromatography. Peroxidation was increased as the pH was lowered from 7.5 to 4.5, and was accompanied by a decrease in PLA2 inhibitory potency. Thus, arachidonate incubated for 24 hours at pH's 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 lost 84%, 32%, and 20% respectively, of its inhibitory potency. Therefore, in vitro acidosis promotes the oxidation of cis-unsaturated fatty acids and relieves their inhibitory or suppressive activity toward PLA2s. Increased lipid peroxidation of unesterified unsaturated fatty acids during acidosis may therefore promote lipolysis observed during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.