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Effect of low levels of dietary fish oil on fatty acid desaturation and tissue fatty acids in obese and lean rats
Author(s) -
Cao JunMing,
Blond Jean Paul,
Juaneda Pierre,
Durand Georges,
Bézard Jean
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02533958
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , linoleic acid , fish oil , arachidonic acid , docosahexaenoic acid , phospholipid , fatty acid , lipidology , medicine , endocrinology , clinical chemistry , biochemistry , microsome , chemistry , biology , food science , fish <actinopterygii> , enzyme , membrane , fishery
The effect of very low levels of dietary long‐chain n−3 fatty acids on Δ6 desaturation of linoleic acid (18∶2n−6) and α‐linolenic acid (18∶3n−3), and on Δ5 desaturation of dihomo‐γ‐linolenic acid (20∶3n−6), in liver microsomes and its influence on tissue fatty acids were examined in obese and lean Zucker rats and in Wistar rats. Animals fed for 12 wk a balanced diet containing ca. 200 mg of long‐chain polyunsaturated n−3 fatty acids per 100 g of diet were compared to those fed the same amount of α‐linoleic acid. Low amounts of long‐chain n−3 fatty acids greatly inhibited Δ6 desaturation of 18∶2n−6 and Δ5 desaturation of 20∶3n−6, while Δ6 desaturation of 18∶3n−3 was not inhibited in Zucker rats and was even stimulated in Wistar rats. Inhibition of the biosynthesis of long‐chain n−6 fatty acids was reflected in a decrease in arachidonic acid (20∶4n−6) content of serum lipids when fasting, and also in the phospholipid fatty acids of liver microsomes. On the contrary, heart and kidney phospholipids did not develop any decrease in 20∶4n−6 during fish oil ingestion. Docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3), present in the dietary fish oil, was increased in serum lipids and in liver microsome, heart, and kidney phospholipids.