The degradation of platelet-activating factor by high-density lipoprotein in rat plasma. Effect of ethynyloestradiol administration.

The degradation of platelet-activating factor (PAF; 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) in human plasma is brought about by a specific acetylhydrolase that is associated with low-density lipoprotein. In this study, the presence of a similar activity on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of rat plasma has been demonstrated which is independent of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity. Furthermore, PAF acetylhydrolase activity may be decreased by 66% by treatment of rats with 17 alpha-ethynyloestradiol (1 mg/kg body wt.; 5 days). This treatment also decreased HDL cholesterol concentrations by 90%, but did not affect LCAT activity. Thus rat LCAT and PAF acetylhydrolase are associated with different subspecies of HDL.