Prehypertension-associated elevation in circulating lysophosphatidlycholines, Lp-PLA2 activity, and oxidative stress

PLoS One. 2014 May 6;9(5):e96735. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096735. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Prehypertension is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We investigated alterations in plasma metabolites that are associated with prehypertension. A group of 53 individuals was identified who remained within the range of prehypertension during repeated measurements in a 3-year period. This group was compared with the control group of 53 normotensive subjects who were matched for age and gender. Metabolomic profiles were analyzed with UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The prehypertensive group showed higher levels of lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs) containing C14:0, C16:1, C16:0, C18:2, C18:1, C18:0, C20:5, C20:4, C20:3, and C22:6, higher circulating Lp-PLA2 activity, oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), interleukin 6 (IL-6), urinary 8-epi-PGF2α, and higher brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV), before and after adjusting for BMI, WHR, smoking, alcohol consumption, serum lipid profiles, glucose, and insulin. LysoPC (16:0) was the most important plasma metabolite for evaluating the difference between control and prehypertensive groups, with a variable important in the projection (VIP) value of 17.173, and it showed a positive and independent association with DBP and SBP. In the prehypertensive group, the levels of lysoPC (16:0) positively and significantly correlated with ox-LDL, Lp-PLA2 activity, 8-epi-PGF2α, ba-PWV, and IL-6 before and after adjusting for confounding variables. Prehypertension-associated elevations in lysoPCs, Lp-PLA2 activity, ox-LDL, urinary 8-epi-PGF2α, IL-6, and ba-PWV could indicate increased oxidative stress from Lp-PLA2-catalyzed PC hydrolysis during increased LDL oxidation, thereby enhancing proinflammation and arterial stiffness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase / blood*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Blood Pressure
  • Dinoprost / analogs & derivatives
  • Dinoprost / urine
  • Fatty Acids / blood
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Lipids / blood
  • Lipoproteins, LDL / analysis
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines / blood
  • Male
  • Metabolome
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Phosphatidylcholines / metabolism
  • Prehypertension / blood
  • Prehypertension / metabolism
  • Prehypertension / pathology*
  • Pulse Wave Analysis

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Interleukin-6
  • Lipids
  • Lipoproteins, LDL
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • oxidized low density lipoprotein
  • 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha
  • Dinoprost
  • 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (2006-2005306, 2010-0015017, and 2012M3A9C4048762). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.