Transport of lysolecithin by albumin in human and rat plasma.

Lysolecithin comprises 9.6 and 21.5% of the phospholipids of the plasma of man and rat, respectively. Ultracentrifugal and gel filtration studies showed that the major portion of the lysolecithin is not found together with the other phospholipids in the plasma lipoproteins. By zone electrophoresis, gel filtration, and ammonium sulfate fractionation, it was found that lysolecithin was consistently associated with albumin fractions. Immunoelectrophoretically homogeneous rat albumin was prepared. It contained 0.5 mg of lipid phosphorus per g of protein; 98.3% of this lipid was lysolecithin. It is concluded that lysolecithin is transported in plasma bound to albumin.