Affiliations: Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biologia e Genetica,
Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy | Dipartimento di Scienze dei Materiali e della Terra,
Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy | Dipartimento di Biologia MCA, Università di
Camerino, via Camerini 2, 62032 Camerino (Mc), Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Tiziana Bacchetti, Dipartimento di
Biochimica, Biologia e Genetica, Università
Politecnica delle Marche, Via Ranieri, 65, 60131, Ancona, Italy. Tel.: +39
712204968; Fax: +39 712204398; E-mail: t.bacchetti@univpm.it
Abstract: N-acylethanolamides (NAEs) are hydrophobic molecules synthesized in
many tissues. An increase in the plasma levels of NAEs has been observed in
human diseases. Previous studies have suggested that NAEs could exert a
protective effect against oxidative stress. Aim of the study was to investigate whether NAEs
(oleoylethanolamide, palmitoylethanolamide and anandamide), differing for acyl
chain length and unsaturation, exert a protective role against plasma lipid
peroxidation triggered by incubation with Cu^{2+} or AAPH
(2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride).
Moreover, we investigated the effect of NAEs on the activity of HDL-associated
paraoxonase (PON1), an enzyme involved in the antioxidant end anti-inflammatory
role of human high density lipoproteins (HDL). The results demonstrated that
the NAEs protect plasma lipids and PON1 activity against AAPH and/or
copper-induced oxidation.
