Ethanolamine

The downstream metabolism of ethanolamine is magnesium and manganese dependent. Functional need for these cofactors can contribute to elevated ethanolamine.

Because ethanolamine is found in intestinal epithelial cells and bacterial cell membranes, gut microbiome imbalances have been associated with ethanolamine elevations.

Decreased precursors, (such as serine), or issues with enzymatic conversion of these precursors may result in lower ethanolamine. This can be clinically problematic given the importance of its role in producing phosphoethanolamine and phospholipids.

Ethanolamine is an intermediary metabolite in the serine-to-choline sequence. It can be used to synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a very important membrane phospholipid. Ethanolamine is not only a precursor, but also a breakdown product of PE. Ethanolamine is abundant in both intestinal and bacterial cell membranes. It plays a significant role in the renewal and proliferation of intestinal cells and intestinal inflammation.

Also, since ethanolamine plays a structural role in skeletal muscle cell membranes, some evidence suggests it may be a marker of skeletal muscle turnover.