title: EPA or DHA supplementation increases triacylglycerol, but not phospholipid, levels in isolated rat cardiomyocytes.
abstract: It is well recognized that a high dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has profound benefits on health and prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, in recent years there has been a dramatic surge of interest in the health effects of n-3 LC-PUFA derived from fish, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Notwithstanding, the metabolic fate and the effects of these fatty acids once inside the cell has seldom been comprehensively investigated. Using cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes as model system we have investigated for the first time, by means of high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy in combination with gas chromatography (GC), the modification occurring in the cell lipid environment after EPA and DHA supplementation. The most important difference between control and n-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented cardiomyocytes highlighted by HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy is the increase of signals from mobile lipids, identified as triacylglycerols (TAG). The observed increase of mobile TAG is a metabolic response to n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation, which leads to an increased lipid storage. The sequestration of mobile lipids in lipid bodies provides a deposit of stored energy that can be accessed in a regulated fashion according to metabolic need. Interestingly, while n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation to neonatal rat cardiomyocytes causes a huge variation in the cell lipid environment, it does not induce detectable modifications in water-soluble metabolites, suggesting negligible interference with normal metabolic processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry "G. Moruzzi", University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, BO, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nunzio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Danesi
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schenetti
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boschetti
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonora
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tugnoli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bordoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008055:Lipids; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid