http://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients/special_issues/phospholipid-nutrition/ Dear Colleagues, Phospholipids, or glycerophospholipids, are vital for the structural integrity of mammalian membranes and lung surfactant. Phospholipids also play a central role in signal transduction, prostaglandin synthesis, lipoprotein secretion and intestinal lipid absorption. Given the plethora of biological functions, it is not surprising that impaired phospholipid supply, either through impaired metabolism or dietary deficiency, has been linked to the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and dementia. The aim of this special issue is to explore the effects of dietary phospholipids, or their precursors, on a wide-range of physiological processes. {snippet name="submission_info"} http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/2/181/ This study assessed the long-term effects of dietary vaccenic acid (VA) and elaidic acid (EA) on plasma and splenocyte phospholipid (PL) composition and related changes in inflammation and splenocyte phenotypes and cytokine responses in obese/insulin resistant JCR:LA-cp rats. Relative to lean control (Ctl), obese Ctl rats had higher serum haptoglobin and impaired T-cell-stimulated cytokine responses. VA and EA diets improved T-cell-stimulated cytokine production; but, only VA normalized serum haptoglobin. However, EA- and VA-fed rats had enhanced LPS-stimulated cytokine responses. The changes elicited by VA were likely due changes in essential fatty acid composition in PL; whereas EA-induced changes may due to direct incorporation into membrane PL. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/2/181/ Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 CET Nutrients 2010-02-11 2 2 Article 181 197 2072-6643 Vaccenic and Elaidic Acid Modify Plasma and Splenocyte Membrane Phospholipids and Mitogen-Stimulated Cytokine Production in Obese Insulin Resistant JCR: LA-cp Rats 2010-02-11 doi: 10.3390/nu2020181 Megan R. Ruth Ye Wang Howe-Ming Yu Susan Goruk Martin J. Reaney Spencer D. Proctor Donna F. Vine Catherine J. Field http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/2/116/ Experiments carried out with cultured cells and in experimental animals have consistently shown that phospholipids (PLs) can inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption. Limited evidence from clinical studies suggests that dietary PL supplementation has a similar effect in man. A number of biological mechanisms have been proposed in order to explain how PL in the gut lumen is able to affect cholesterol uptake by the gut mucosa. Further research is however required to establish whether the ability of PLs to inhibit cholesterol absorption is of therapeutic benefit. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/2/116/ Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 CET Nutrients 2010-02-08 2 2 Article 116 127 2072-6643 Dietary Phospholipids and Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption 2010-02-08 doi: 10.3390/nu2020116 Jeffrey S. Cohn Alvin Kamili Elaine Wat Rosanna W. S. Chung Sally Tandy