Intra- and intercellular messengers

Myo-inositol is one of the most biologically active forms of inositol. It exists in several isomeric forms, the most common being the constituent of phospholipids in biological cell membranes. It also occurs as free inositol and as inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) also known as phytate which is a major source from food. Rice bran is one of the richest sources of IP6 as well as free inositol. Inositol is considered to belong to the B-complex vitamins. It is released in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals by the dephosphorylation of IP6 (phytate) by the intestinal enzyme phytase. Phytase also releases intermediate products as inositol triphosphate and inositol pentaphosphate. Inositol triphosphate in cellular membrane functions as an important intra- and intercellular messenger, that merits its value as a nutritional therapy for cancer. 

Eicosanoids are the lipid mediators of inflammation that are derived from fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (AA). AA can undergo metabolism through several pathways to generate a wide variety of lipid mediators, such as prostaglandins (by Cox pathway) and leukotrienes (by Lox pathway), which serve as important intra-and intercellular messengers. - ... 

Phospholipid molecules of membranes from neurons and glial cells store a wide variety of lipid messengers. Receptor-mediated events and changes in [Ca2+]i, such as occur during excitatory neurotransmission and activity-depen-dent synaptic plasticity, activate phospholipases that catalyze the release of bioactive moieties from phospholipids, which then participate in intra- and/or intercellular signaling pathways. 

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