Phospholipid changes in children with pancreatic sufficiency and insufficiency

The phospholipid secretion rates and phospholipase A(1) and phospholipase A (2) activities in biliary-pancreatic secretions of patients with pancreatic sufficiency and insufficiency were measured using P-31-NMR spectroscopy. I t was possible to quantify conveniently the individual phospholipids withou t prior extraction of lipids or treatment of the samples with detergent. Th e reciprocal nature of the decrease in phosphatidylcholine concentration, c ompared with the increase in the concentration of 1-lysophosphatidylcholine and 2-lysophosphatidylcholine, suggested a substrate/product relationship consistent with the activities of phospholipase A(2) and phospholipase A(2) , respectively. Although the secretion rates of total biliary phospholipids among the patients with pancreatic sufficiency were similar, the phospholi pase A(1) and phospholipase A(2) activities varied considerably. The latter differences were similar to their pancreatic lipase and colipase secretion levels and hence their degree of pancreatic dysfunction. The biliary-pancr eatic secretions from patients with pancreatic insufficiency showed no enzy me activities. Total biliary phospholipid secretions in patients with pancr eatic insufficiency with common bile duct stenosis were significantly lower than those in patients with pancreatic sufficiency,and pancreatic insuffic iency without common bile duct stenosis. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.