Ehehalt Robert, Braun Annika, Karner Max, Füllekrug Joachim, Stremmel Wolfgang
Department of Gastroenterology, University hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010 Sep;1801(9):983-93. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2010.05.014. Epub 2010 Jun 4.
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an important constituent of the gastrointestinal tract. PC molecules are not only important in intestinal cell membranes but also receiving increasing attention as protective agents in the gastrointestinal barrier. They are largely responsible for establishing the hydrophobic surface of the colon. Decreased phospholipids in colonic mucus could be linked to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical studies revealed that therapeutic addition of PC to the colonic mucus of these patients alleviated the inflammatory activity. This positive role is still elusive, however, we hypothesized that luminal PC has two possible functions: first, it is essential for surface hydrophobicity, and second, it is integrated into the plasma membrane of enterocytes and it modulates the signaling state of the mucosa. The membrane structure and lipid composition of cells is a regulatory component of the inflammatory signaling pathways. In this perspective, we will shortly summarize what is known about the localization and protective properties of PC in the colonic mucosa before turning to its evident medical importance. We will discuss how PC contributes to our understanding of the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis and how reinforcing the luminal phospholipid monolayer can be used as a therapeutic concept in humans.
磷脂酰胆碱（PC）是胃肠道的重要组成部分。PC分子不仅在肠细胞膜中很重要，而且作为胃肠道屏障中的保护剂也越来越受到关注。它们在很大程度上负责建立结肠的疏水表面。结肠黏液中磷脂减少可能与溃疡性结肠炎（一种慢性炎症性肠病）的发病机制有关。临床研究表明，对这些患者的结肠黏液进行治疗性添加PC可减轻炎症活动。然而，这种积极作用仍不明确，我们推测腔内PC有两种可能的功能：第一，它对表面疏水性至关重要；第二，它整合到肠上皮细胞的质膜中并调节黏膜的信号状态。细胞的膜结构和脂质组成是炎症信号通路的调节成分。从这个角度来看，在转向PC明显的医学重要性之前，我们将简要总结一下关于PC在结肠黏膜中的定位和保护特性的已知情况。我们将讨论PC如何有助于我们理解溃疡性结肠炎的发病机制，以及如何加强腔内磷脂单分子层可作为人类的一种治疗理念。
