phosphatidylcholine (lecithin)

^[1]^[2]

Introduction

Component of lipoproteins.

gut bacteria convert dietary phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) to trimethylamine-N-oxide that is absorbed & appears in plasma
increased plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide is associated with increased cardiovascular risk^[2]
oxidized choline glycerophospholipids activate platelet CD36, promote platelet activation, impair endothelial function & increase foam cell concentration within atherosclerotic plaques^[1]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Podrez EA, Byzova TV, Febbraio M, Salomon RG, Ma Y, Valiyaveettil M, Poliakov E, Sun M, Finton PJ, Curtis BR, Chen J, Zhang R, Silverstein RL, Hazen SL. Platelet CD36 links hyperlipidemia, oxidant stress and a prothrombotic phenotype. Nat Med. 2007 Sep;13(9):1086-95. Epub 2007 Aug 26. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17721545
Jackson SP, Calkin AC. The clot thickens-oxidized lipids and thrombosis. Nat Med. 2007 Sep;13(9):1015-6. <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17828215 <Internet> http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/5/499
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Tang WHW et al. Intestinal microbial metabolism of phosphatidylcholine and cardiovascular risk. N Engl J Med 2013 Apr 25; 368:1575 <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23614584 <Internet> http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1109400
Loscalzo J. Gut microbiota, the genome, and diet in atherogenesis. N Engl J Med 2013 Apr 25; 368:1647. <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23614591 <Internet> http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1302154