Clay F. Semenkovich, MD and collaborators had their study published online April 21 in The Journal of Lipid Research. The publication is titled, “Endothelial ether lipids link the vasculature to blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration.”
Vascular disease contributes to neurodegeneration, which is associated with decreased blood pressure in older humans. Plasmalogens, ether phospholipids produced by peroxisomes, are decreased in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. However, the mechanistic links between ether phospholipids, blood pressure, and neurodegeneration are not fully understood.
In their study, the researchers show that endothelium-derived ether phospholipids affect blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration in mice.
The authors’ findings suggest that disrupting production of plasmalogens by the endothelium, perhaps as a consequence of hypertension, diabetes, salt intake and other vascular risk factors, may lead to neurodegeneration that is associated with decreased blood pressure in later life.
Endothelial ether lipids link the vasculature to blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration
Larry D. Spears, Sangeeta Adak, Guifang Dong, Xiaochao Wei, George Spyropoulos, Qiang Zhang, Li Yin, Chu Feng, Donghua Hu, Irfan J. Lodhi, Fong-Fu Hsu, Rithwick Rajagopal, Kevin K. Noguchi, Carmen M. Halabi, Lindsey Brier, Annie R. Bice, Brian V. Lananna, Erik S. Musiek, Oshri Avraham, Valeria Cavalli, Jerrah K. Holth, David M. Holtzman, David F. Wozniak, Joseph P. Culver, Clay F. Semenkovich
Endothelial ether lipids link the vasculature to blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration, Journal of Lipid Research, 2021.