Metabolism of platelet activating factor (1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol by human endothelial cells.

The metabolism of platelet activating factor (1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol was studied in cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Human endothelial cells deacetylated 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine to the corresponding lyso compound (1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine) and a portion was converted to 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acyl(long-chain)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Lyso platelet activating factor (lyso-PAF) (1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) was detected in the media very early during the incubation and the amount remained higher than the level of the lyso product observed in the cells. Cellular levels of 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were significantly higher than the acylated product (1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acyl(long-chain)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) at all times during the 60-min incubation period, which suggests that the ratio of acetylhydrolase to acyltransferase activities is greater in endothelial cells than in most other cells. When endothelial cells were incubated with 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol, a known precursor of PAF, 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-sn-glycerol was the major metabolite formed (greater than 95% of the 3H-labeled metabolites during 20- and 40-min incubations). At least a portion of the acetate was removed from 1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol by a hydrolytic factor released from the endothelial cells into the medium during the incubations. Only negligible amounts of the total cellular radioactivity (0.2%) was incorporated into platelet activating factor (1-[1,2-3H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine); therefore, it is unlikely that the previously observed hypotensive activity of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerols can be explained on the basis of the conversion to platelet activating factor (1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) by endothelial cells. Results of this investigation indicate that endothelial cells play an important role in PAF catabolism. Undoubtedly, the endothelium is important in the regulation of PAF levels in the vascular system.