Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Blood Bioactive Sphingolipids and Activity of Acid Sphingomyelinase in Patients with Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

Malgorzata Knapp, Anna Lisowska, Marcin Baranowski, Janina Lewkowicz, Agnieszka Krajewska, Tomasz Hirnle, Piotr Zabielski, Wlodzimierz J Musial and Robert Sawicki

Aim: Ceramide is claimed to participate in development of atherosclerosis. Another bioactive sphingolipid, namely sphingosine-1-phosphate has anti-atherogenic properties. The aim of the present study was to examine the level of ceramide, sphingosine-1-phosphate, sphinganine-1-phosphate, sphingosine and sphinganine in plasma, erythrocytes and platelets of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Material and methods: The group of patients consisted of 36 people of both sexes with multivessel coronary artery disease recommended to coronary artery by-pass grafting. The control group consisted of 20 age-matched subjects without symptoms of the disease. The blood samples were collected and fractionated in plasma, erythrocytes and platelets. The levels of the above listed sphingolipids were determined by means of high performance liquid chromatography. The activity of acidic secretory sphingomyelinase in plasma was determined using 14C-sphingomyelin.

Results: It was shown in the group of patients that the plasma levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate and sphinganine-1-phosphate were reduced whereas the levels of other sphingolipids did not differ from the respective values in the control group. The plasma activity of acidic secretory sphingomyelinase was elevated in the group of patients. The levels of the examined sphingolipids in erythrocytes were similar in both groups. In platelets, the level of sphingosine and sphinganine in the group of patients was higher than in the control group. The plasma ceramide/ sphingosine-1-phosphate ratio is elevated by 54% in the group of patients.

Conclusion: The results obtained indicate that metabolism of ceratain bioactive sphingolipids in plasma, and platelets in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease are changed as compared to the control group.