title: Differential oxidation of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in vivo in the rat.
abstract: The oxidation rates of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, alpha-linolenic, linoleic, kappa-linolenic, dihomo-gamma-linolenic and arachidonic acids were studied by use of a radioisotope tracer technique in weanling rats at rest in a metabolism chamber over 24 h. Of the saturated fatty acids, lauric acid (12:0) was the most efficient energy substrate: the longer the chain length of the saturated fatty acids, the slower the rate of oxidation. Oleic acid (18:1) was oxidized at a remarkably fast rate, similar to that of lauric acid. Of the omega 6 essential fatty acids studied, linoleic acid (18:2 omega 6) was oxidized at a faster rate than any of its metabolites, with arachidonic acid (20:4 omega 6) being oxidized at the slowest rate. The rate of oxidation of gamma-linolenic acid (18:3 omega 3) was almost as fast as that of lauric and oleic acids.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019301:Oleic Acid; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009829:Oleic Acids; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D019301:Oleic Acid