title: Effect of dietary alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid on tissue fatty acids in guinea pigs.
abstract: Guinea pigs were fed regular chow diets supplemented with 5% (by weight) safflower oil, evening primrose oil, or linseed oil for 6 weeks. The unsaturated fatty acid content of these oils was 78.9% of 18:2n6, 74.1% of 18:2n6, and 9.2% of 18:3n6, or 21.5% of 18:2n6 and 46.9% of 18:3n3, respectively. In comparison with 18:2n6, dietary supplementation with 18:3n6 significantly increased the tissue levels of 18:3n6 and 20:3n6, whereas dietary 18:3n3 significantly elevated the levels of 18:3n3 in plasma and liver lipids. Dietary 18:3n3 also significantly increased 22:5n3 and 22:6n3 in total phospholipids. The tissue levels of 20:4n6, on the other hand, were not affected by either treatment. These data suggest that both delta 6- and delta 5 desaturation of n-6 fatty acids in guinea pigs are low, and that the metabolism of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids may be regulated by two different enzyme systems.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Horrobin
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Manku
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000097:blood; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008042:Linolenic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D009821:Oils / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008042:Linolenic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D009821:Oils; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid