Hepatic and skeletal muscle phospholipid metabolism in recovering burned rats.

Liver and soleus muscles of control animals and rats recovering from a single hindlimb scald were analyzed for diphosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl choline, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl inositol, and phosphatidyl serine. Liver of 4-hr postburn rats exhibited decreased contents of diphosphatidyl glycerol (-20%), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (-11%), and phosphatidyl choline (-7%). At 3 days after the burn, only an 11% decrease in hepatic phosphatidyl inositol was observed. Soleus muscle of the unburned limb of burned rats showed at 3 days postburn an 11% decrease in sphingomyelin content but the other measured phospholipids were at control level. In contrast, soleus muscle from the contralateral burned limb exhibited increased contents of sphingomyelin (+29%), lysophosphatidyl choline (+145%), and phosphatidyl serine (+27%) compared to control uninjured animals. It also showed a 25% higher phosphatidyl inositol level than the contralateral uninjured counterpart. It is concluded that recovery from a single hindlimb scald is associated with alterations in phospholipid metabolism in the liver and in the region of the wound. The local response to thermal injury may be mediated, in part, by stimulated activity of phospholipase A2.