title: Polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of the salmon (Salmo salar L.) pineal organ: modification by diet and effect on prostaglandin production.
abstract: To examine the influence of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the lipid composition of the pineal organ and its production of prostaglandins, Atlantic salmon were fed diets containing either fish oils rich in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or plant oils with high levels of 18:2(n-6) (sunflower oil) or 18:3(n-3) (linseed oil) for 12 weeks. Lipid content and lipid class composition of the pineal organ were not greatly influenced by the type of oil fed to the fish: choline phosphoglycerides were always the predominant lipid class and the proportion of polar lipids exceeded that of neutral lipids. The pattern of PUFA present in total lipid and individual lipid classes was, however, related to that of the dietary oil. The major PUFA in pineal total lipid from all four dietary groups was 22:6(n-3) and the proportion of n-6 PUFA present was highest in lipid from salmon fed sunflower oil. Both PGE and PGF analogues of the 2- and 3-series were detected in pineal homogenates from all dietary groups with the former prostaglandin being the most abundant. The ratio of PGE2/PGE3 was greatest in fish fed sunflower oil and lowest in those fed linseed oil. The results provide further evidence that despite its anatomical location the pineal organ resembles non-neural tissues more than brain in terms of lipid composition and prostaglandin production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Molecular Sciences, University of Stirling, U.K.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000737:chemistry; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000737:chemistry; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000032:analysis*; D012474:Salmon / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D008055:Lipids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D010938:Plant Oils; D011453:Prostaglandins; D014280:Triglycerides