title: Effects of dietary alpha- and gamma-linolenic acids on liver fatty acids, lipid metabolism, and survival in sepsis.
abstract: The effects of dietary treatment for 3 weeks with soybean oil, linseed- and safflower oil (high alpha-linolenic acid, ALA), or borage oil (high gamma-linolenic acid, GLA) on the liver fatty acid profile and lipid metabolism in fed rats, in normal fasted rats, and septic fasted rats, and on survival from sepsis, were studied. The results were the following: 1) Dietary ALA increased incorporation of alpha-linolenic (18:3w3), eicosapentaenoic (20:5w3), and docosapentaenoic (22:5w3) acids in neutral lipids and phospholipids, and docosahexaenoic (22:6w3), dihomo-gamma-linolenic (20:3w6), arachidonic (20:4w6), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1w9), and linoleic (18:2w6) acids in phospholipids in the livers of fed, fasted, and septic fasted rats. Dietary GLA increased all w6 fatty acids except 18:2w6, and reduced all w3 fatty acids in neutral lipids and phospholipids. 2) Dietary ALA increased liver phospholipid content in fasted as well as in septic fasted rats and was more potent than GLA in lowering serum cholesterol and liver neutral lipids. 3) Dietary ALA counteracted sepsis-related changes in liver weight, platelet count, body temperature, prekallikrein, serum glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and free fatty acids. 4) Dietary GLA reduced survival from sepsis. The results suggest a role for w3 fatty acids to balance w6 fatty acids in the septic state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biology, Pharmacia AB, Hospital Care, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larsson-Backström
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindmark
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Svensson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018805:Sepsis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol