Abstract
Experiments were done to test whether maintenance of more rapid mitochondrial volume oscillations in rats supplemented with essential fatty acids (EFA) was related to overall unsaturation of fatty acids in mitochondrial lipids or to the presence of specific essential fatty acids. Liver mitochondria from EFA-deficient rats showed a decrease in frequency of oscillations of ion transport in comparison with nondeficient rats receiving corn oil as a source of linoleic acid. Supplementation of EFA-deficient rats with methyl linoleate (18:2ω6), methyl linolenate (18:3ω3) or methyl arachidonate (20:4ω6) made the oscillation frequency very similar to that of mitochondria from nondeficient rats. Supplementation with methyl docosahexaenoate (22:6ω3) had no effect, despite the high degree of mitochondrial fatty acid unsaturation produced by feeding this fatty acid. The ineffectiveness of 22:6ω3 is evidence that increased unsaturation is not the main factor in the maintenance of the oscillation frequency in rat liver mitochondria. The effectiveness of the other methyl ester supplements is evidence for a specific need for 20:4ω6 or 20:5ω3 either for mitochondrial function or for prostaglandin formation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
