title: Dietary arachidonic and linoleic acids: comparative effects on tissue lipids.
abstract: The effects of preformed dietary arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) on murine phospholipid fatty acid composition in tissues capable (liver) and incapable (peritoneal exudate cells, PEC) of desaturating and elongating linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) to AA were investigated. The results were compared with those obtained on matched animals on LA diets by either substituting or supplementing dietary LA with AA. Modest amounts of AA ethyl ester (0.5 wt%) included in the diet significantly increased tissue phospholipid AA levels by 39% and 57% in the liver and in PEC, respectively. The changes were further enhanced when dietary LA and AA intakes were equivalent, i.e., 57% and 68% in liver and PEC, respectively. This enrichment was observed in all phospholipid classes analyzed, with the greatest impact on phosphatidylcholine. In addition, the doubling of dietary LA had little effect on tissue phospholipid AA levels. The data suggest that while the level of n-6 PUFA may have an important effect on tissue fatty acid composition, the type of n-6 PUFA in the diet could be of greater significance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Broughton
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Surette
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kinsella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid