In vivo conversion of 18- and 20-C essential fatty acids in rats using the multiple simultaneous stable isotope method

• Main Authors: Yu Hong Lin, Norman Salem, Jr.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2005-09-01
• Series: Journal of Lipid Research
• Subjects: stable isotope tracer; α-linolenic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; docosahexaenoic acid; linoleic acid; dihomo-γ-linolenic acid
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022227520329436

An important question for mammalian nutrition is the relative efficiency of C18 versus C20 essential fatty acids (EFAs) for supporting the tissue composition of n-3 and n-6 pathway end products. One specific question is whether C22 EFAs are made available to tissues more effectively by dietary α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) and linoleic acid (18:2n-6) or by dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3n-6). To address this question in a direct manner, four stable isotope compounds were given simultaneously in a novel paradigm. A single oral dose of a mixture of 2H5-18:3n-3, 13C-U-20:5n-3, 13C-U-18:2n-6, and 2H5-20:3n-6 was administered to rats given a defined diet. There was a preferential in vivo conversion of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) to docosatetraenoic acid (22:4n-6) and of 22:4n-6 to n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-6) when the substrates originated from the C18 precursors. However, when the end products docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) or 22:5n-6 were expressed as the total amount in the plasma compartment divided by the dosage, this parameter was 11-fold greater for 20:5n-3 than for 18:3n-3 and 14-fold greater for 20:3n-6 than for 18:2n-6.Thus, on a per dosage basis, the total amounts of n-3 and n-6 end products accreted in plasma were considerably greater for C20 EFA precursors relative to C18.