Hot Topics in Neural Membrane Lipidology

Glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid-derived lipid mediators facilitate the transfer of messages not only from one cell to another but also from one subcellular organelle to another. These molecules are not only components of neural membranes but also storage depots for lipid mediators. Information on the generation and involvement of lipid mediators in neurological disorders is scattered throughout the literature in the form of original papers and reviews. This book will provide readers with a comprehensive description of glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid and cholesterol-derived lipid mediators and their involvement in neurological disorders.

The purpose of this book is to present readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on lipid mediators in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers and physicians. This monograph has 11 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 describe the generation of various lipid mediators from neural membrane glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol, and their involvement and roles in signal transduction processes. Chapters 3 and 4 describe cutting edge information on roles of various isoforms and paralogs of phospholipases A2 in the generation of glycerophospholipid-derived lipid mediators and interactions among phospholipases A2, C, and D in the nucleus. Chapter 5 describes metabolism and roles of bioactive ether lipids in brain. Chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to excitotoxicity-mediated modulation of lipid mediators in neurological disorders and recent developments in kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity. Chapters 8 and 9 describe the health benefits of n-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) in diet, the mechanisms of their action in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, and comparison of n-3 fatty acid’s effect with cholesterol lowering drugs (statins). Chapter 10 describes the contribution of neural membrane lipids in apoptosis and necrosis. Finally, Chapter 11 provides readers and researchers with a perspective that will be important for future research work on bioactive lipid mediators.

This book will be particularly accessible to neuroscience graduate students and teachers, as well as researchers. It can be used as a supplemental text for a range of neuroscience courses. Clinicians and pharmacologists will find this book useful for understanding molecular aspects of lipid mediators in neurodegeneration in acute neural trauma (stroke, spinal cord trauma and head injury) and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease). This monograph will be the first to provide a comprehensive description of glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, and cholesterol-derived mediators, their interactions with each other in normal brain and in brain tissue from neurological disorders.