title: The alkenylacyl class of ethanolamine phospholipid represents a major form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-containing phospholipid in the platelets of human subjects consuming a fish oil concentrate.
abstract: A quantitative assessment was made of the distribution of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) among the individual sub-classes (diacyl, alkylacyl, alkenylacyl) of the various platelet phospholipids of human subjects consuming a fish oil concentrate (as MaxEPA) enriched in EPA plus DHA. This work was of interest since dietary fish oils provide for a pronounced enrichment of platelet phospholipid in EPA as well as DPA plus DHA to a lesser extent while reducing AA-phospholipid and platelet reactivity. After 42 days of MaxEPA supplementation (providing 3.6 g EPA and 2.4 g DHA per day), the majority of the mass of all four polyunsaturated fatty acids in the choline-containing phospholipid (PC) was found in the diacyl species (76-87% of total PC). In contrast, twice as much of the EPA in the ethanolamine-containing phospholipid (PE) resided in the alkenylacyl species (62.7% of total PE) relative to the diacyl species (32.3%) with minor amounts in the alkylacyl fraction (5.1%). The major single reservoir of total EPA-containing phospholipid was the alkenylacyl PE (38.2% of total) followed by diacyl PC (27.8%), diacyl PE (19.6%), with progressively lesser amounts in the alkylacyl PC, alkylacyl PE, diacyl PS (phosphatidylserine), alkenylacyl PC, and diacyl PI (phosphatidylinositol) at 6.7, 3.1, 2.3, 1.4, and 0.8% of the total mass, respectively. In contrast, only 27.1% of the total mass of AA-phospholipid was represented by the alkenylacyl PE with the bulk of the remainder being distributed in the diacyl species of PE, PC, PI, and PS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Holub
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Celi
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Skeaff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid