N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are involved in diverse biological processes such as inflammatory regulation, apoptosis, and tissue degeneration.1 In animals, NAEs are mainly biosynthesized via a membrane phospholipid-dependent pathway, which is the enzymatic hydrolysis of N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE). The enzyme catalyzing this reaction is a phospholipase D subtype selective for NAPE named N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolysing phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD). It has been cloned from mouse, rat, and human and is 393-396 amino acids in length, with an estimated molecular weight of 46 kDa. Both NAPE-PLD mRNA and protein activity have been detected in a wide range of tissues with the highest levels in brain, kidney, and testis.2 In rat, NAPE-PLD activity in the brain is low in neonates and is 15-fold higher in adults, whereas the activity remains constant in the heart during development.3WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
