Various lysophosphatidic acids caused phasic contractions of longitudinal muscle from guinea-pig ileum, followed by rhythmical contractions of lower magnitude. Polyunsaturated lysophosphatidic acids were more potent than saturated lysophosphatidic acids. Among the lysophosphatidic acids tested, linolenoyl-lysophosphatidic acid was the most active, but its activity was about 3-5 times less than that of prostaglandin F2 alpha. Contractile responses to various lysophosphatidic acids, were partially suppressed by tetrodotoxin, atropine and chlorpheniramine. In addition, lysophosphatidic acid-induced contractions were considerably reduced by pretreatment of the muscle with indomethacin.

1-0-Hexadecyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (platelet-activating factor) at 10(-10)-10(-9) M induced slow contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileal muscles and the contraction persisted for a long time. At a higher concentration of 10(-7) M, this phospholipid induced more rapid, but not greater, contraction. At higher concentrations (10(-6)-10(-5) M), this phospholipid induced a biphasic response: rapid contraction followed by relaxation. At high concentrations, this compound inhibited acetyl-choline-induced contractions. The stimulatory effect of this phospholipid was ca. 300 times that of 1-palmitoyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, while its inhibitory potency on induced contraction was similar to those of 1-palmitoyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and its lyso derivative. It was suggested that the differences in effects on contraction of different concentrations of 1-0-hexadecyl- and 1-palmitoyl-2-0-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were due to the effects of these compounds on the ileum: a strong stimulatory effect and a moderate inhibitory effect on contraction.

A phospholipid that differs from known active lipids and causes potent platelet aggregation and weak hypotension has been isolated from bovine brain. Its platelet aggregating effect on heparinized platelet-rich plasma from rabbits, was at a threshold concentration of about 0.2 nmol ml-1 as phosphorus. The effect was inhibited by CV-3988. The phospholipid was converted by diazomethane treatment to another active lipid that caused short-term hypotension, but not platelet aggregation, rather it inhibited the aggregation of rabbit heparinized platelets induced by platelet-activating factor.