title: The influence of dietary essential fatty acids on uterine C20 and C22 fatty acid composition.
abstract: The effect of dietary fatty acids on uterine fatty acid composition was studied in rats fed control diet or semi-synthetic diet supplemented with 1.5 microliter/g/day evening primrose oil (EPO) or fish oil (FO). Diet-related changes in uterine lipid were detected within 21 days. Changes of 2- to 20-fold were detected in the uterine n-6 and n-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) and in certain saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. The FO diet was associated with higher uterine C20 and C22 n-3, and the EPO diet, with higher uterine n-6 fatty acid. High uterine C18:2 n-6 was detected in neutral lipid (NL) of rats fed high concentrations of this fatty acid, but there was little evidence of selective incorporation or retention of C18:2 n-6 by uterine NL. The incorporation of EFA into uterine phospholipids (PL) was greater than NL EFA incorporation, and uterine PL n-3/n-6 ratios showed greater diet dependence. Tissue/diet fatty acid ratios in NL and PL also indicated preferential incorporation/synthesis of C16:1 n-9, and C16:0, and there was greater incorporation of C12:0 and C14:0 into uteri of rats fed EPO and FO. Replacement of 50-60% of arachidonate with n-3 EFA in uterine PL may inhibit n-6 EFA metabolism necessary for uterine function at parturition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Leaver
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Aitken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010938:Plant Oils; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005395:Fish Oils; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D010938:Plant Oils; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid