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Rapid de‐esterification and loss of eicosapentaenoic acid from rat brain phospholipids: an intracerebroventricular study
Author(s) -
Chen Chuck T.,
Liu Zhen,
Bazinet Richard P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.07116.x
Subject(s) - eicosapentaenoic acid , phospholipid , metabolism , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , fatty acid , fatty acid metabolism , polyunsaturated fatty acid , biochemistry , membrane
J. Neurochem. (2011) 116 , 363–373. Abstract Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n‐3) is being explored as a therapy in neurological diseases and disorders. Although it is known that palmitate is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain while EPA is one of the lowest, the mechanism by which the brain maintains this balance is unclear. Therefore, to trace the metabolism of these fatty acids in the brain, 14 C‐palmitate or 14 C‐EPA was administered via intracerebroventricular infusion to rats. From 4 to 128 days post‐infusion, brains were collected after head‐focused, high‐energy microwave irradiation for biochemical analysis. At day 4 post‐infusion, 57% (82 ± 26 nCi) of the total phospholipid radioactivity in 14 C‐palmitate‐infused brains was intact palmitate; whereas in 14 C‐EPA‐infused brains, 9% (2 ± 0.9 nCi) of the radioactivity was intact EPA. The half‐life of esterified 14 C‐palmitate and 14 C‐EPA was 32 ± 4 (2% loss per day) and 5 ± 0.2 days (14% loss per day), respectively. Radioactivity was also detected in other saturates, monounsaturates, and cholesterol, suggesting that the infused radiolabeled fatty acids were β‐oxidized. In conclusion, the low concentration of EPA in brain phospholipids may be the result of extensive metabolism of EPA, in part by β‐oxidation, upon entry into the brain and upon de‐esterification from phospholipids.