Abstract
The effects of dietary methionine level on the profiles of fatty acids and phospholipids and on the plasma cholesterol concentration were investigated to confirm whether the methionine content of dietary proteins is one of the major factors that cause differential effects on lipid metabolism. The effect of dietary supplementation with eritadenine, which is shown to be a potent inhibitor of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) N-methylation, was also investigated. Rats were fed six diets containing casein (100 g/kg) and amino acid mixture (86.4 g/kg) differing in methionine content (2.5, 4.5, and 7.5 g/kg) and without or with eritadenine supplementation (30 mg/kg) for 14 d. The ratio of arachidonic to linoleic acid of liver microsomal and plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) was significantly increased as the methionine level of diet was elevated, indicating that dietary methionine stimulates the metabolism of linoleic acid. The PC/PE ratio of liver microsomes and the plasma cholesterol concentration were also increased by dietary methionine. These effects of methionine were completely abolished by eritadenine supplementation The S-adenosylmethionine concentration in the liver reflected the methionine level of diet. These results support the idea that the differential effects of dietary proteins on lipid metabolism might be ascribed, at least in part, to their different methionine contents, and that methionine might exert its effects through alteration of PE N-methylation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- GLC:
-
gas-liquid chromatography
- HDL:
-
high density lipoprotein
- HPLC:
-
high-performance liquid chromatography
- LDL:
-
low density lipoprotein
- PC:
-
phosphatidylcholine
- PE:
-
phosphatidylethanolamine
- SAH:
-
S-adenosylhomocysteine
- SAM:
-
S-adenosylmethionine
- TLC:
-
thin-layer chromatography
- VLDL:
-
very low density lipoprotein
References
Kritchevsky, D. (1993) Dietary Protein and Experimental Atherosclerosis, Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 676, 180–187.
Sirtori, C.R., Even, R., and Lovati, M.R. (1993) Soybean Protein Diet and Plasma Cholesterol: From Therapy to Molecular Mechanism, Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 676, 188–201.
Sugano, M., and Koba, K. (1993) Dietary Protein and Lipid Metabolism: A Multifunctional Effect, Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 676, 215–222.
Carroll, K.K., and Kurowska, E.M. (1995) Soy Consumption and Cholesterol Reduction: Review of Animal and Human Studies, J. Nutr. 125, 594S-597S.
Huang, Y.-S., Cunnane, S.C., and Horrobin, D.F. (1986) Effect of Different Dietary Proteins on Plasma and Liver Fatty Acid Composition in Growing Rats, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 181, 399–403.
Sugano, M., Ishida, T., and Koba, K. (1988) Protein-Fat Interaction on Serum cholesterol Level, Fatty Acid Desaturation and Eicosanoid Production in Rats, J. Nutr. 118, 548–554.
Sugiyama, K., Kanamori, H., Akachi, T., and Yamakawa, A. (1996) Amino Acid Composition of Dietary Proteins Affects Plasma Cholesterol Concentration Through Alteration of Hepatic Phospholipid Metabolism in Rats Fed a Cholesterol-Free Diet, J. Nutr. Biochem. 7, 40–48.
Sugiyama, K., Yamakawa, A., Kumazawa, A., and Saeki, S. (1997) Methionine Content of Dietary Proteins Affects the Molecular Species Composition of Plasma Phosphatidylcholine in Rats Fed a Cholesterol-Free Diet, J. Nutr. 127, 600–607.
Sugiyama, K., Akachi, T., and Yamakawa, A. (1995) Eritadenine-Induced Alteration of Hepatic Phospholipid Metabolism in Relation to Its Hypocholesterolemic Action in Rats, J. Nutr. Biochem. 6, 80–87.
Sugiyama, K., Yamakawa, A., and Saeki, S. (1997) Correlation of Suppressed Linoleic Acid Metabolism with the Hypocholesterolemic Action of Eritadenine in Rats, Lipids, 32, 859–866.
Nguyen, L.B., Shefer, G., Ness, G., Tanaka, R.D., Packin, V., Thomas, P., Shore, V., and Batta, A. (1990) Purification of Cholesterol 7α-Hydroxylase from Human and Rat Liver and Production of Inhibiting Polyclonal Antibodies, J. Biol. Chem. 265, 4541–4546.
Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G.H. (1957) A Simple Method for the Isolation and Purification of Total Lipids from Animal Tissues, J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509.
Zak, B. (1957) Simple Rapid Microtechnic for Serum Total Cholesterol, Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 27, 583–588.
Fletcher, M.J. (1968) A Colorimetric Method for Estimating Serum Triglycerides, Clin. Chim. Acta 22, 393–397.
Bartlett, G.R. (1959) Phosphorus Assay in Column Chromatography, J. Biol. Chem. 234, 466–468.
Blank, M.L., Robinson, M., Fitzgerald, V., and Snyder, F. (1984) Novel Quantitative Method for Determination of Molecular Species of Phospholipids and Diglycerides, J. Chromatogr. 298, 473–482.
Sugiyama, K., and Yamakawa, A. (1996) Dietary Eritadenine-Induced Alteration of Molecular Species Composition of Phospholipids in Rats, Lipids, 31, 399–404.
Cook, R.J., Horne, D.W., and Wagner, C. (1989) Effect of Dietary Methyl Group Deficiency on One-Carbon Metabolism in Rats, J. Nutr. 119, 612–617.
Lowry, O.H., Rosebrough, N.J., Farr, A.L., and Randall, R.J. (1951) Protein Measurement with the Folin Phenol Reagent, J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265–275.
Duncan, D.B. (1957) Multiple Range Tests for Correlated and Heteroscedastic Means, Biometrics 13, 164–176.
Ikeda, I., Wakamatsu, K., Inayoshi, A., Imaizumi, K., Sugano, M., and Yazawa, K. (1994) α-Linolenic, Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acids Affect Lipid Metabolism Differentially in Rats, J. Nutr. 124, 1898–1906.
Choy, Y.-S., Goto, S., Ikeda, I., and Sugano, M. (1989) Interaction of Dietary Proteins, Cholesterol and Age on Lipid Metabolism of the Rat, Br. J. Nutr. 61, 531–543.
Voss, A., Reinhart, M., Sankarappa, S., and Sprecher, H.J. (1991) The Metabolism of 7,10,13,16,19-Docosapentaenoic Acid to 4,7,10,13,16,19-Docosahexaenoic Acid in Rat Liver Is Independent of a 4-Desaturase, J. Biol. Chem. 266, 19995–20000.
Leikin, A.I., and Brenner, R.R. (1987) Cholesterol-Induced Microsomal Changes Modulate Desaturase Activities, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 922, 294–303.
Leikin, A.I., and Brenner, R.R. (1988) In vitro Cholesterol Removal from Liver Microsomes Induces Changes in Fatty Acid Desaturase Activities, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 963, 311–319.
Leikin, A.I., and Brenner, R.R. (1992) In vivo Phospholipid Modification Induces Changes in Microsomal Δ5-Desaturase Activity, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1165, 189–193.
She, Q., Hayakawa, T., and Tsuge, H. (1994) Effect of Vitamin B6 Deficiency on Linoleic Acid Desaturation in the Arachidonic Acid Biosynthesis of Rat Liver Microsomes, Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 58, 459–463.
Imaizumi, K., Mawatari, K., Murata, M., Ikeda, I., and Sugano, M. (1983) The Contrasting Effect of Dietary Phosphatidylethanolamine and Phosphatidylcholine on Serum Lipoproteins and Liver Lipids in Rats, J. Nutr. 113, 2403–2411.
Imaizumi, K., Sakono, M., Mawatari, K., Murata, M., and Sugano, M. (1989) Effect of Phosphatidylethanolamine and Its Constituent Base on the Metabolism of Linoleic Acid in Rat Liver, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1005, 253–259.
Faas, F.H., and Carter, W.J. (1983) Altered Microsomal Phospholipid Composition in the Streptozotocin Diabetic Rat, Lipids 18, 339–342.
Pelech, S.L., and Vance, D.E. (1984) Regulation of Phosphatidylcholine Biosynthesis, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 779, 217–251.
Audubert, F., and Vance, D.E. (1983) Pitfalls and Problems in Studies on the Methylation of Phosphatidylethanolamine, J. Biol. Chem. 258, 10695–10701.
Oda, H., Okumura, Y., Hitomi, Y., Ozaki, K., Nagaoka, S., and Yoshida, A. (1989) Effect of Dietary Methionine and Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Cholesterol Metabolism in Rats Fed a Diet Containing Soy Protein Isolate, J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 35, 333–348.
Tanaka, K., and Sugano, M. (1989) Effects of Addition of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids and Glycine to Soybean Protein and Casein on Serum Cholesterol Levels in Rats, J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 35, 323–332.
Saeki, S., Kanauchi, O., and Kiriyama, S. (1990) Some Metabolic Aspects of the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Soybean Protein in Rats Fed a Cholesterol-Free Diet, J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 36, 125S-131S.
Sugiyama, K., Kushima, Y., and Muramatsu, K. (1985) Effects of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids and Glycine on Plasma Cholesterol Levels in Rats Fed on a High Cholesterol Diet, Agric. Biol. Chem. 49, 3455–3461.
Kadowaki, H., Patton, G.M., and Robins, S.J. (1993) Effect of Phosphatidylcholine Molecular Species on the Uptake of HDL Triglycerides and Cholesteryl Esters by the Liver, J. Lipid Res. 34, 180–189.
Kadowaki, H., Patton, G.M., and Robins, S.J. (1992) Metabolism of High Density Lipoprotein Lipids by the Rat Liver: Evidence for Participation of Hepatic Lipase in the Uptake of Cholesteryl Ester, J. Lipid Res. 33, 1689–1698.
Shafi, S., Brady, S.E., Bensadoun, A., and Havel, R.J. (1994) Role of Hepatic Lipase in the Uptake and Processing of Chylomicron Remnants in Rat Liver, J. Lipid Res. 35, 709–720.
Ji, Z.-S., Lauer, S.J., Fazio, S., Bensadoun, A., Taylor, J.M., and Mahley, R.W. (1994) Enhanced Binding and Uptake of Remnant Lipoproteins by Hepatic Lipase-Secreting Cells in Culture, J. Biol. Chem. 269, 13429–13436.
Sirtori, C.R., Galli, G., Lovati, M.R., Carrara, P., Bosisio, E., and Galli-Kienle, M. (1984) Effect of Dietary Proteins on the Regulation of Liver Lipoprotein Receptors in Rats, J. Nutr. 114, 1493–1500.
Brousseau, M.E., Stucchi, A.F., Vespa, D.B., Schaefer, E.J., and Nicolosi, R.J. (1993) A Diet Enriched in Monosaturated Fats Decreases Low Density Lipoprotein Concentrations in Cynomolgus Monkeys by a Different Mechanism Than Does a Diet Enriched in Polyunsaturated Fats, J. Nutr. 123, 2049–2058.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Sugiyama, K., Kumazawa, A., Zhou, H. et al. Dietary methionine level affects linoleic acid metabolism through phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation in rats. Lipids 33, 235–242 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-998-0201-2
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-998-0201-2