title: Metabolism of eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid in rat testes. Evidence for delta8-desaturase activity.
abstract: The metabolism of [14C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid was investigated in rat testes in vivo and in vitro. Intratesticular injection of [1-14C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid resulted in the appearance of radioactivity (4-30% of 14C in total fatty acids) in 20-carbon trienoic fatty acids and a small amount (2-3.5%) in arachidonic acid. Analysis of the 20-carbon trienoic acid fraction by ozonolysis indicated that 15 to 34% of the 14C in this fraction was in an 8-carbon fragment originating from eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid. The rest (66 to 84%) was in a 5-carbon fragment, presumably originating from eicosa-5,11,14-trienoic acid. Incubation of testicular tissue minces or microsomes with [1-14C]eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid yielded labeled eicosa-8,11,14- and eicosa-5,11,14-trienoic acids in proportions similar to those obtained in vivo. Added unlabeled acetate had no effect on the formation of [14C]eicose-8,11,14-trienoic acid in vitro. Therefore, it is unlikely that the labeled eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid arose from elongation of octadeca-6,9,12-trienoic acid with labeled acetate derived from bio-oxidation of the labeled substrate. These results are compatible with a limited desaturation of eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid to eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid and provide evidence for delta8 desaturate activity in rat testis.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D004537:Eicosanoic Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; C015876:eicosa-11,14-dienoic acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases