Effectiveness of Arachidonic Acid in Curing "Fat Deficiency" Disease.

Abstract

The earlier work by Evans and Burr,1 by Burr and collaborators,2,3 and by Evans and Lepkovsky4 has definitely shown that the rat cannot maintain growth and well-being on diets rigidly devoid of fat, but invariably develops a characteristic deficiency disease. The vital need of the animal is not, however, as the same investigators have demonstrated, for fat in general but for certain unsaturated fatty acids. Of these, only linoleic and linolenic acids have so far proved effective in curing this specific deficiency, whereas oleic and alpha-eleostearic acids have been found inactive. Now, whether the 2 first-mentioned acids are the only ones capable of satisfying the need of the body for unsaturated fatty acids or whether other fatty acids with the same curative effect exist is naturally a question of great interest and of considerable theoretical significance.In the following, the results of some experiments with arachidonic acid are reported. This acid has been tested once before by Burr, Burr and Miller,3...