title: Delta-6-desaturase activity of human liver microsomes from patients with different types of liver injury.
abstract: The delta-6-desaturase (D6D) activity was evaluated in microsomes from liver fragments of cholecystectomized subjects without any liver pathology and from explanted liver of patients affected by cirrhosis of different etiologies. We observed a significant decrease in D6D activity, evaluated by a radiochemical technique using 1-[14C]-linoleic acid as substrate, in cirrhotic patients with no correlation with the etiology of the cirrhosis. The D6D activity within the pathological group was quite similar. No alteration in the 20:4/18:2 ratio obtained by gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid methyl esters of microsomal membranes was found. Liver disease seems to be the main cause of the decreased enzyme activity independent of its etiology.
authors.affiliation: Centro Ricerche sulla Nutrizione-Dip. Biochimica, Universita' di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hrelia
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zunarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bordoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000201:enzymology; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D050602:Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase