Tissue-Specific Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in (n-3) Deficiency State of Rats.

Amruta Kulkarni,Ai Zhao,Baoru Yang,Yumei Zhang,Kaisa M Linderborg

doi:10.3390/foods11020208

Abstract

The dietary intake of fatty acids (FAs) affects the composition and distribution of FAs in the body. Here, a first-generation (n-3)-deficiency study was conducted by keeping young (age 21 ± 2 days) Sprague–Dawley male rats on a peanut-oil-based diet for 33 days after weaning in order to compare the effect of mild (n-3)-deficiency on the lipid composition of different organs and feces. Soybean-oil-based diet was used as a control. The plasma FA levels corresponded to FAs levels in the organs. Lower docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content was detected in the plasma, brain, testis, visceral fat, heart, and lungs of the (n-3)-deficient group, whereas the DHA content of the eye and feces did not differ between the experimental groups. The DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-deficient group was 86% of the DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-adequate group. The DHA level of the organs was affected in the order of visceral fat > liver triacylglycerols > lung > heart > liver phospholipids > testis > eye > brain, with brain being least affected. The low levels of (n-3) FAs in the liver, brain, eye, heart, and lung were offset by an increase in the (n-6) FAs, mainly arachidonic acid. These results indicate that, in rats, adequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy and weaning does not provide enough (n-3) FAs for 33 days of an (n-3)-deficient diet. Results of this study can be used also to evaluate the conditions needed to reach mild (n-3) deficiency in the first generation of rats and to evaluate the feasibility to collect data from a variety of organs or only selected ones.

Highlights

The dietary intake of fatty acids (FAs) affects the overall composition and distribution of FAs in the body
There was no significant difference between the two experimental groups in the body weights of the rats at the beginning or end of the experiments (Table 3)
There were no significant differences in the organ weights between the two experimental groups (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

The dietary intake of fatty acids (FAs) affects the overall composition and distribution of FAs in the body. Studies from the 1920s by Burr and Burr [1] (published in 1973) indicated even that lack of dietary fat leads to alterations in development and metabolism, resulting in disease and even death at an early age. Mammals, including humans, lack the necessary enzymes (∆-12 and ∆-15 desaturases) to synthesize linoleic (18:2(n-6), LA) and α-linolenic (18:3(n-3), ALA) acids, and they are considered essential FAs that must originate from the diet. The total intake and the dietary balance between PUFAs of the different omega families affect their metabolism [3,4,5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion