Sooo .. one might assume a deficiency OF lecithin might cause lung
disease .. ?

I don't think they can even claim one .. drug for treatment of this
disease.

"Our results demonstrate that reducing phosphatidylcholine
biosynthesis results in interstitial lung disease."

Ishiguro N, Oyabu M, Sato T, Maeda T, Minami H, Tamai I
Decreased Biosynthesis of Lung Surfactant Constituent
Phosphatidylcholine Due to Inhibition of Choline Transporter by
Gefitinib in Lung Alveolar Cells. [JOURNAL ARTICLE]
Pharm Res 2007 Jul 12.

PURPOSE: We investigated whether gefitinib, an anticancer agent,
inhibits phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis and choline uptake by
alveolar epithelial type II cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Uptake of choline and PC biosynthesis were
examined in vitro, using human alveolar epithelia-derived cell line
A549 and rat alveolar type (AT) II cells as models.
RESULTS: Gefitinib reduced the incorporation of [(3)H]choline into PC
in A549 and rat ATII cells. The uptake of [(3)H]choline by A549 and
rat ATII cells was concentration-dependent, and the Km values were
15.0 and 10-100 muM, respectively. The uptake of [(3)H]choline by A549
and rat ATII cells was weakly Na(+)-dependent, and inhibited by
hemicholinium-3. RT-PCR revealed expression of choline transporter-
like protein (CTL)1 and organic cation transporter (OCT)3 mRNAs in
both cells. The choline uptake by A549 and rat ATII cells was strongly
inhibited by gefitinib with the IC(50) value of 6.77 muM and 10.5 muM,
respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that gefitinib reduces PC
biosynthesis via inhibition of cellular choline uptake by A549 and rat
ATII cells, which is mainly mediated by CTL1, resulting in abnormality
of lung surfactant that can be one of mechanisms of the interstitial
lung disease associated with gefitinib.

More from this journal
Pharm Res

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<<snip>>
Lecithin may therefore be the method of choice for
accelerating acetylcholine synthesis
<<snip>>

Lancet. 1977 Jul 9;2(8028):68-9. Related Articles, Links

Lecithin consumption raises serum-free-choline levels.

Wurtman RJ, Hirsch MJ, Growdon JH.

Consumption of choline by rats sequentially increases serum-choline,
brain-choline, and brain-acetylcholine concentrations. In man
consumption of choline increases in levels in the serum and
cerebrospinal fluid; its administration is an effective way of
treating tardive dyskinesia.
We found that oral lecithin is considerably more
effective in raising human serum-choline levels than an equivalent
quantity of choline chloride. 30 minutes after ingestion of choline
chloride (2-3 g free base), serum-choline levels rose by 86% and
returned to normal values within 4 hours; 1 hour after lecithin
ingestion, these levels rose by 265% and remained significantly
raised for 12 hours.
Lecithin may therefore be the method of choice for
accelerating acetylcholine synthesis by increasing the availability
of choline, its precursor in the blood.

PMID: 69151 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Tom

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