An important mechanism for the antiinflammatory effect of pharmacological doses of glucocorticoids is the inhibition of arachidonic acid release from phospholipids by phospholipase A2 (PLA2). As a corollary, one might predict that low endogenous concentrations of glucocorticoids favor inflammatory disease states. Indeed, clinical and experimental observations revealed an association between glu...

Using expressed sequence tag (EST) homology screening, a new human serine dependent phospholipase A2 (HSD-PLA2) was identified that has 40% amino acid identity with human low density lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LDL-PLA2). HSD-PLA2 has very recently been purified and cloned from brain tissue but named PAF-AH II. However, because the homology with LDL-PLA2 suggested a broader substra...

The phospholipase A2 superfamily encompasses 15 groups that are classified into: secreted PLA2 (sPLA2); cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2); Ca-independent intracellular PLA2 (iPLA2); platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH); and lysosomal PLA2. Currently, approximately 700 PLA2 sequences are known, of which 200 are obtained from the venom gland of Crotalinae snakes. However, thus far, little inf...

BACKGROUND Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an emerging biomarker of cardiovascular disease. This study was conducted to describe the distribution of Lp-PLA2 in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults and to determine associations between Lp-PLA2, cardiometabolic risk factors, and subclinical atherosclerosis in this population. METHODS Lp-PLA2 was as...

Neutrophils (PMN) and group IIA phospholipase A2 (gIIA PLA2) are components of the innate immune system mobilized to sites of invasion by microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus. Although accumulating coincidentally in vivo, the in vitro antistaphylococcal activities of PMN and gIIA PLA2 have thus far been separately studied. The goal of this thesis was to study the collaborative activity ...

Macrophage activation is, in part, regulated via hydrolysis of oxidised low density lipoproteins by Lipoprotein-Associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), resulting in increased macrophage migration, pro-inflammatory cytokine release and chemokine expression. In uveitis, tissue damage is mediated as a result of macrophage activation; hence inhibition of Lp-PLA2 may limit macrophage activation and p...

BACKGROUND Recent studies demonstrate that lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease presumably deriving from generation of proinflammatory and proatherogenic species through its hydrolytic activity on lipoprotein-associated phospholipids. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship of Lp-PLA2 with a set of thrombogenic, lipid, infla...

The entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophila, induces immunodepression in target insects and finally leads to lethal septicemia of the infected hosts. A hypothesis has been raised that the bacteria inhibit eicosanoid-biosynthesis pathway to interrupt immune signaling of the infected hosts. Here, we show direct evidence that X. nematophila inhibits the activity of phospholipase A2 (PL...

Group 1B phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is an abundant lipolytic enzyme that is well characterized biochemically and structurally. Because of its high level of expression in the pancreas, it has been presumed that PLA2 plays a role in the digestion of dietary lipids, but in vivo data have been lacking to support this theory. Our initial study on mice lacking PLA2 demonstrated no abnormalities in dieta...

BACKGROUND Healing after myocardial infarction (MI) involves the biphasic accumulation of inflammatory Ly-6C(high) and reparative Ly-6C(low) monocytes/macrophages. Excessive inflammation disrupts the balance between the 2 phases, impairs infarct healing, and contributes to left ventricle remodeling and heart failure. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), a member of the phospholipa...