Lipids are considered important factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we realized a comparative analysis of the phospholipid profile and phospholipid composition of the temporal cortex from E280A-familiar AD (FAD), sporadic AD (SAD), and healthy human brains. Findings showed a significant decrease of lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine formed by low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (20 : 4, 22 : 6) in AD brains. However, phosphatidylethanolamine-ceramide and phosphoglycerol were significantly increased in SAD, conformed by high levels of (18 : 0/18 : 1) and (30/32/36 : 0/1/2), respectively. Together, the findings suggest a deficiency in lysophosphacholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, and alteration in the balance between poly- and unsaturated fatty acids in both types of AD, and a differential pattern of phospholipid profile and fatty acid composition between E280A FAD and SAD human brains.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; fatty acids; phospholipids; polyunsaturated fatty acids; temporal cortex.