Posted on 01/22/2023 10:44:51 AM PST by ConservativeMind
Bronchial asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is reversible in certain cases, usually presents with cough, difficulty of breathing, and wheezing. Although most people can successfully control asthma using inhaled corticosteroids, approximately 10% of patients are resistant to treatment. Recent evidence has suggested a link between excessive intake of fatty acids and exacerbation of asthma, but the details of the relationship had remained elusive.
A study focused on the function of an enzyme called ELOVL6, which is responsible for the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids in humans. Dysfunction of ELOVL6 has been linked to various immune-related conditions, and thus, the group hypothesized a link between ELOVL6 and asthma.
The data confirmed that the expression of ELOVL6 is reduced in patients with severe asthma i.e., patients whose asthma was not controlled despite intense treatment. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the patients' BMI when compared to non-asthmatic controls, which concurs with the groups data in the mouse model that showed that a deletion of ELOVL6 affected the fatty acid composition in mouse lungs but did not contribute to weight gain. Furthermore, the mice lacking ELOVL6 had enhanced airway inflammation, as well as enhanced goblet cell hyperplasia and airway responsiveness in response to allergens.
The study revealed that deletion of ELOVL6 increased the amounts of a class of lipids called ceramides in mice airways and also resulted in increased levels of a ceramide metabolite called S1P. "S1P is known to be potentially related to allergic inflammation, thus we wondered what effect inhibiting its synthesis would have on our ELOVL6-deficient mouse model," says Morishima. "Fascinatingly, we found that drug-induced inhibition of ceramide and S1P synthesis reduced not only airway inflammation in our model but also reduced the migration of immune cells out of lymph nodes and their cytokine production."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
This is a very common fatty acid, but it is removed from MCT oil, and some oils and fats have less than others. It is believed to be a problematic fatty acid, though, by raising LDL and encouraging some inflammatory issues.
If it’s not in bacon grease, I am good
Palmitic acid was discovered... in saponified palm oil... the primary industrial route for its production....Palmitic acid is produced by a wide range of other plants and organisms, typically at low levels... in butter, cheese, milk, and meat, as well as cocoa butter, olive oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.
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