Effect of lipid peroxidation on molecular arrangement of phospholipids in liposomes prepared from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine or total rat brain lipids. A 31P NMR study.

Changes in molecular arrangement of membrane phospholipids in the course of lipid autoxidation were studied by means of broad-band 31-P NMR spectroscopy. Multilamellar liposomes prepared from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC) or total lipid extracts from rat brains (TL) were used as models. The initial lamellar arrangement of phospholipids of both types changed as lipid peroxidation proceeded and a narrow isotropic signal appeared in the spectra at 0 ppm, this phenomenon being more prominent for TL than for PC. Probably the isotropic signal represents some nonlamellar structures within the membranes of peroxidized lipids.