Diol lipids of rat liver. Quantitation and structural characteristics of neutral lipids and phospholipids derived from ethanediol, propanediols, and butanediols.

Specific enzymatic and chemical degradation of neutral lipid and phospholipid fractions from rat liver revealed the presence of novel types of lipid metabolites bearing a short-chain diol backbone. Diol-derived lecithin and cephalin analogs were readily cleaved by phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3) from Bacillus cereus, although the cephalin analogs required "carrier" lecithin to sustain hydrolysis. The products of phosphilipase hydrolyses as well as the neutral lipid fractions were subjected to alkaline and acidic methanolysis, and constituent short-chain diols were analyzed as long-chain cyclic acetals. Gas chromatographymass spectrometry confirmed that 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and 1,3 butanediol can form the polyol backbone of neutral lipids and phospholipids. [1,1,2,2-2H]Ethanediol monohexadecanoate, dihexadecanoate, hexadecanoylphosphorylcholine, hexadecanoylphosphorylethanolamine were synthesized chemically and served as internal standards to assure accurate quantitation of the low levels of diol lipids (350 mug/g ot total lipid) present in rat liver.