Fatty Acid Balance Research Articles

Effects of pH and fermentative substrate on ruminal metabolism of fatty acids during short‐term in vitro incubation

The ruminal biohydrogenation of c9,c12-18:2 can be affected by the fibre/starch ratio of the diet and the ruminal pH. The objectives of this study were to examine independently in vitro the effects of fermentation substrate (hay vs. corn starch) and buffer pH (6 vs. 7) on the biohydrogenation of c9,c12-18:2 carried out by grape seed oil, focusing on its t11 and t10 pathways, using 6-h ruminal incubations. The experimental design was a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Fermentation substrate and pH affected the C18 fatty acid balance in incubated media, but few interactions were observed. Compared with starch, hay as the fermentation substrate favoured the production of 18:0 (×2.3), all trans-18:1 isomers (×12.6) and CLA (×6.1), except c9,t11-CLA, and the disappearance of unsaturated C18 fatty acids, but decreased the production of odd and branched chain fatty acids. Compared with pH6 buffer, pH7 buffer resulted in higher c9,c12-18:2 disappearance and CLA production. For c9,t11-CLA, an interaction was noticed between the two factors, leading to the highest production in cultures incubated on hay with the 7 pH buffer. Compared with starch, hay as fermentation substrate favoured the activity of t11 producers, which are fibrolytic bacteria, and the production of t10 isomers, possibly due to the presence of potential t10 producers in hay. Low pH resulted in a decreased t11 isomers production and in a slightly increased t10 isomers production, probably due to a modulation of enzymatic or bacterial activity.

Fatty Acids, Sterols, Polyphenols, and Chlorophylls of Olive Oils Obtained from Tunisian Wild Olive Trees (Olea europaea L. Var. Sylvestris)

Olive (Olea europaea L.) includes cultivated olive trees (var. europaea) and wild olive trees or oleaster (var. sylvestris) as two botanical varieties. These olive varieties were widely spread in the Mediterranean Region. The aim of this study was to determine fatty acid compositions, sterols, polyphenols, and chlorophylls of oils obtained from 12 wild olive trees from Northern Tunisia. Two dominated oil cultivars in Tunisia (Chétoui and Chemlali) were also used to compare results. The fatty acid methyl ester and the sterol compositions were analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography methods, respectively. The polyphenols and chlorophylls were determined using the calorimetrical method. Results indicated that oils extracted from wild olives displayed good balanced fatty acid compositions, sterols, polyphenols, and chlorophylls. Qualitatively, for wild and cultivated olive oils, the oil has an identical composition, whereas the quantitative variation showed that some wild trees seem to be interesting oil sources as two Tunisian dominated cultivars. The highest oleic acid and polyphenol contents were 71.55% and 537.6 mg/kg of oil found in wild olives (OIch2, OIch1). The β-sitosterol was the major sterolic fraction and ranged from 84.72 to 75.70% according to the wild olives. Consequently, wild olives would be a new future edible olive oil source, as well as commonly cultivated ones.

Polymorphism in the ELOVL6 Gene Is Associated with a Major QTL Effect on Fatty Acid Composition in Pigs

BackgroundThe ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6 (ELOVL6), the only elongase related to de novo lipogenesis, catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the elongation cycle by controlling the fatty acid balance in mammals. It is located on pig chromosome 8 (SSC8) in a region where a QTL affecting palmitic, and palmitoleic acid composition was previously detected, using an Iberian x Landrace intercross. The main goal of this work was to fine-map the QTL and to evaluate the ELOVL6 gene as a positional candidate gene affecting the percentages of palmitic and palmitoleic fatty acids in pigs.Methodology and Principal FindingsThe combination of a haplotype-based approach and single-marker analysis allowed us to identify the main, associated interval for the QTL, in which the ELOVL6 gene was identified and selected as a positional candidate gene. A polymorphism in the promoter region of ELOVL6, ELOVL6:c.-533C>T, was highly associated with the percentage of palmitic and palmitoleic acids in muscle and backfat. Significant differences in ELOVL6 gene expression were observed in backfat when animals were classified by the ELOVL6:c.-533C>T genotype. Accordingly, animals carrying the allele associated with a decrease in ELOVL6 gene expression presented an increase in C16:0 and C16:1(n-7) fatty acid content and a decrease of elongation activity ratios in muscle and backfat. Furthermore, a SNP genome-wide association study with ELOVL6 relative expression levels in backfat showed the strongest effect on the SSC8 region in which the ELOVL6 gene is located. Finally, different potential genomic regions associated with ELOVL6 gene expression were also identified by GWAS in liver and muscle, suggesting a differential tissue regulation of the ELOVL6 gene.Conclusions and SignificanceOur results suggest ELOVL6 as a potential causal gene for the QTL analyzed and, subsequently, for controlling the overall balance of fatty acid composition in pigs.

Fatty acid balance and the regulation of inflammation

Fatty acid balance and the regulation of inflammation

МАТЕМАТИЧНЕ ОБґРУНТУВАННЯ СКЛАДАННЯ СУМіШЕЙ ОЛіЙ

Vegetable oils by 95 - 99% consist of triglycerides - esters of fatty acids and glycerine, and after refining their content increases to 98.5 - 99.5%. Human health is positively influenced by triglycerides, which contain the essential fatty acids ω -6 i ω -3 (linoleic and α - linolenic). It was found that there are no vegetable oils with balanced fatty acid structure in nature. Such oils can be produced artificially, for example by selection or genetic modification of oilseeds. The most technologically and therefore cost-effective is the method of mixing (blending) of oils. The article explains the choice of vegetable oils and offers a simple mathematical calculation of formulations of their mixtures, balanced according to fatty acid structure. The blendings calculated according to the equations can be used as food and for production of emulsion goods. Because of the nature of the Ukrainian market, we can assume that the product will be successful, because it will be affordable and good for health.

Limited feeding on bacteria by two intertidal benthic copepod species as revealed by trophic biomarkers

Harpacticoids can discriminate between biofilms of different bacterial strains. We investigated whether assimilation of bacteria is selective and whether harpacticoids select for the most nutritional bacteria. We specifically focused on the role of bacterial characteristics in copepod food selection. Trophic biomarkers (stable isotopes, fatty acids) were used to test selective assimilation of three bacteria by the harpacticoids Platychelipus littoralis and Delavalia palustris, all isolated from a salt marsh. The bacteria Gramella sp., Jannaschia sp. and Photobacterium sp. with contrasting ribosomal protein and fatty acid contents were (13)C-labelled and offered in a food patch choice experiment with monospecific and combination treatments (single and two strains per microcosm respectively). Low assimilation of bacterial carbon and lack of significant fatty acid transfer proved that bacteria were a poor food source for the harpacticoids. Assimilation was copepod species-specific and bacteria strain-specific (preference for Photobacterium). However, only a low degree of selective feeding occurred; it can partly be explained by bacterial extracellular metabolites rather than by biochemical content and densities. Finally, the energetic cost of differential bacterivory resulted in a negative fatty acid balance for Platychelipus, while Delavalia showed an improved fatty acid profile and thus a positive response to the low-quality bacterial food.

Fatty acid metabolism in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): effects of n-6 PUFA and MUFA in fish oil replaced diets

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)-rich and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-6 PUFA)-rich vegetable oils are increasingly used as fish oil replacers for aquafeed formulation. The present study investigated the fatty acid metabolism in juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, 38.4 g) fed diets containing fish oil (FO, as the control treatment) or two different vegetable oils (the MUFA-rich canola/rapeseed oil, CO; and the n-6 PUFA-rich cottonseed oil, CSO) tested individually or as a 50/50 blend (CO/CSO). The whole-body fatty acid balance method was used to deduce the apparent in vivo fatty acid metabolism. No effect on growth performance and feed utilization was recorded. However, it should be noted that the fish meal content of the experimental diets was relatively high, and thus the requirement for n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA) may have likely been fulfilled even if dietary fish oil was fully replaced by vegetable oils. Overall, relatively little apparent in vivo fatty acid bioconversion was recorded, whilst the apparent in vivo β-oxidation of dietary fatty acid was largely affected by the dietary lipid source, with higher rate of β-oxidation for those fatty acids which were provided in dietary surplus. The deposition of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3, as % of the dietary intake, was greatest for the fish fed on the CSO diet. It has been shown that European sea bass seems to be able to efficiently use n-6 PUFA for energy substrate, and this may help in minimizing the β-oxidation of the health benefiting n-3 LC-PUFA and thus increase their deposition into fish tissues.

Changes in the Fatty Acid Composition under Conditions of Polyneuropathy Related to Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

We analyzed the composition of fatty acids in blood plasma of teenagers suffering from polyneuropathy and microangiopathy developed against the background of type 1 diabetes mellitus. It was found that the normalized contents of oleic (monounsaturated) and palmitic (saturated) fatty acids increase in this case, while the levels of stearic (saturated) and linoleic (polyunsaturated) acids decrease, as compared to the norm. These shifts can be related to intensification of release of lipids from adipose tissues and result in disorders of the metabolic processes in nerve cells (first of all, in their membranes). Changes in the balance of fatty acids in erythrocytes of the examined patients appeared as a decrease in the level of saturated stearic acid and increases in the levels of saturated palmitic and polyunsaturated linoleic acids. A relative decrease in the sum of levels of dihomo-γ-linolenic and docosahexaenoic polyunsaturated fatty acids was also found. The observed changes in the composition of the cell membranes (those of erythrocytes) can be indicative of the existence of systemic cellular membranopathy under conditions of the above-mentioned pathologies. Decreased activities of Δ6- and Δ5-desaturases under conditions of insulin deficiency can be one of the reasons for these disorders.

Оцінка зв’язків показників жирнокислотного складу ліпідів легеневого сурфактанту з вмістом 137Сs в організмі дітей, які проживають на радіоактивно забрудненій території

An evaluation of correlation between fatty acid composition in pulmonary surfactant lipids and 137Cs content in the body of children, residents of radiation- contaminated areas revealed that an increased incorporation of 137Cs promotes a disruption of fatty acid balance towards an increase in the saturation of the surfactant lipid complex, a destruction of lecithin fraction of surfactant, a de-crease in antioxidant properties of surfactant system, an activation of lipid peroxidation processes in the respiratory area of lung by lipoxygenase type, a disturbance of polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism on the stage of bioregulators-eicosanoid formation.

Elongase of long chain fatty acids family 6 (ELOVL6) and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase ‐1 (SCD1) indices suggests potential metabolic benefits in patients with a range of liver fat contents

SCD1 and ELOVL6 enzyme activities and dietary fatty acid composition contribute to the balance of monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), and saturated fatty acids (SFA) in the plasma free fatty acid (FFA) pool. Given the potential lipotoxic effects of SFA, the present study investigated FFA composition in fasted and meal‐fed (42g fat, 100g carbohydrate) nondiabetic, African American and Hispanic adults (n = 14, BMI 35.6 ± 6.8 kg/m2, 47.7 ± 8.5 yrs) with low (< 5.6%) or high (> 5.6%) liver fat. FFA composition (mol %) was determined by GC, substrate oxidation by indirect calorimetry, and substrate metabolism using stable isotopes. Low ELOVL6 index (18:0/16:0) was associated with high postprandial insulin (r = − 0.622, P = 0.02) and lower in those with high liver fat (P = 0.01). Fasting FFA turnover correlated with FFA 18:1n9 (r = +0.694, P = 0.01) and 18:2n6 (r = +0.642, P = 0.01), and negatively with 18:0 (r = −0.731, P < 0.01) and 16:0 (r = −0.731, P < 0.01). Whole body fat oxidation correlated with 16:1n7 (r = +0.646, P = 0.02) and indices of SCD1 including 18:1n9/18:0 ratio (r = +0.558, P < 0.05) and 16:1n7/16:0 (r = +0.633, P = 0.02). Fat oxidation correlated inversely with 18:0 (r = −0.592, P = 0.03). Thus, 18:1n9 may be a biomarker for both greater FFA turnover and disposal. These data support beneficial effects of MUFA over SFA in overweight subjects and a positive influence of ELOVL6 and SCD1 on insulin sensitivity and liver fat.

Effects of Dietary Vitamin B6 Supplementation on Fillet Fatty Acid Composition and Fatty Acid Metabolism of Rainbow Trout Fed Vegetable Oil Based Diets

Fish oil replacement in aquaculture feeds results in major modifications to the fatty acid makeup of cultured fish. Therefore, in vivo fatty acid biosynthesis has been a topic of considerable research interest. Evidence suggests that pyridoxine (vitamin B(6)) plays a role in fatty acid metabolism, and in particular, the biosynthesis of LC-PUFA has been demonstrated in mammals. However, there is little information on the effects of dietary pyridoxine availability in fish fed diets lacking LC-PUFA. This study demonstrates a relationship between dietary pyridoxine supplementation and fatty acid metabolism in rainbow trout. In particular, the dietary pyridoxine level was shown to modulate and positively stimulate the activity of the fatty acid elongase and Δ-6 and Δ-5 desaturase enzymes, deduced by the whole-body fatty acid balance method. This activity was insufficient to compensate for a diet lacking in LC-PUFA but does highlight potential strategies to maximize this activity in cultured fish, especially when fish oil is replaced with vegetable oils.

Using 3–6 differences in essential fatty acids rather than 3/6 ratios gives useful food balance scores

BackgroundThe vitamin-like omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids are converted in the body to a large family of hormones which act at selective receptors that occur on nearly every cell and tissue. A relative omega-3 deficit allows overabundant actions of omega-6 hormones to develop into health disorders. People need simple, explicit information on the balance of essential fatty acids in their foods to avoid accumulating unintended imbalances in their tissue omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.ResultsWe developed an Omega 3–6 Balance Food Score that summarizes in a single value the balance among eleven omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in a food. The value allows a quantitative estimate of the impact of each food item on the proportions of omega-3 and omega-6 that will accumulate in the 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids of blood, which is an important health risk assessment biomarker.ConclusionsThe impact of an individual food item upon a useful health risk assessment biomarker is easily evident in a simple, explicit value for the balance among eleven essential fatty acids nutrients. Foods with more positive Omega 3–6 Balance Food Scores will increase the percent of omega-3 in the biomarker, whereas those with more negative Scores will increase the percent of omega-6 in the biomarker.

Bakery waste in sheep diets: intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and ruminal parameters

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of bakery waste inclusion (0; 25; 50; 75 and 100%, DM basis) in proportion to corn meal in the energetic mixture of the concentrate on intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and ruminal parameters in sheep. Five male lambs with body weight of 30 kg were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Experimental diets were composed of concentrate and Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) hay in a 60:40 forage:concentrate ratio. The concentrate rations were composed of corn meal, soybean meal and bakery waste. The bakery waste:corn meal ratio corresponded to the inclusion of, approximately, 0, 7, 14, 22 and 30% (DM basis) of bakery waste in the diet. There was no effect of bakery waste inclusion on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, nor on nitrogen balance, pH values or concentrations of volatile fatty acids. However, the ammonia nitrogen concentration showed negative linear response in relation to the level of inclusion, in which each increase of 1% bakery waste promoted reduction of 0.11 mg/dL in the concentration of ammonia nitrogen. This fact may be related to the increase in ruminal availability of energy, which allows greater use of ammonia for microbial growth. Bakery waste can replace corn meal in concentrate rations for sheep.

Enhanced prostaglandin F 2α formation in human pregnancy and the effect of increased oily fish intake: Results from the Salmon in Pregnancy Study

Oily fish intake during pregnancy may reduce the risk of allergic diseases in infancy possibly by shifts in the fatty acid balance and subsequent altered prostaglandin (PG) formation. This intervention is the first study to evaluate if increased oily fish intake affects in vivo PGF 2α formation during pregnancy. British pregnant women were randomised to two portions of farmed salmon weekly ( n=47), or maintenance of their normal diet low in fish ( n=41), from pregnancy week 20 until parturition. The concentrations of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) were higher and the concentration of arachidonic acid in plasma PC was lower in the salmon group than the control group at weeks 34 and 38 of pregnancy. PGF 2α formation was evaluated by urinary measurement of 15-keto-dihydro-PGF 2α, a major PGF 2α metabolite, at 20, 34 and 38 weeks. In both the salmon and control groups urinary 15-keto-dihydro-PGF 2α concentrations increased significantly during pregnancy, which may be of physiological importance. Oily fish intervention altered fatty acid concentrations but did not affect urinary 15-keto-dihydro-PGF 2α concentrations in pregnant women.

Fish oil replacement in rainbow trout diets and total dietary PUFA content: II) Effects on fatty acid metabolism and in vivo fatty acid bioconversion

This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the metabolic fate of dietary fatty acids in rainbow trout, with a specific focus on the effect of varying total C 18 PUFA level. Fish were fed a control fish oil based diet or one of five experimental fish oil deprived diets formulated with a constant 1/1 ratio of 18:3n-3/18:2n-6 and varying total C 18 PUFA levels for a period of 7 weeks. The transcriptional changes of the Δ-6 desaturase and elongase enzymes in direct comparison to in vivo fatty acid bioconversion, estimated using the whole-body fatty acid balance method, were analysed. The main findings were that i) the efficiency of Δ-6 desaturase was negatively affected by C 18 PUFA availability, but the total apparent in vivo enzyme activity was directly proportional to C 18 PUFA substrate availability; ii) Δ-6 desaturase had a greater affinity towards n-3PUFA than n-6PUFA; iii) excessive C 18 PUFA substrate availability could limit the availability of Δ-6 desaturase to act on C 24 fatty acid; iv) the elimination of dietary n-3LC-PUFA (enzyme products) up-regulated the transcription rate of Δ-6 desaturase; but v) the total apparent in vivo enzyme activity was directly and positively affected by substrate availability, and not product presence/absence nor the extent of the enzyme transcription rate.

LC‐PUFA Biosynthesis in Rainbow Trout is Substrate Limited: Use of the Whole Body Fatty Acid Balance Method and Different 18:3n‐3/18:2n‐6 Ratios

Five experimental diets with constant total C(18) PUFA and varying 18:3n-3/18:2n-6 ratios were fed to rainbow trout over an entire production cycle. The whole-body fatty acid balance method demonstrated a clear trend of progressively reduced fatty acid bioconversion activity along the n-3 and n-6 pathways, up to the production of 20:5n-3 and 20:4n-6, respectively. This suggests that the pathway exhibits a "funnel like" progression of activity rather than the existence of a single rate limiting step. The production of 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 was more active than that of 20:5n-3. However, despite this trend in reduced apparent in vivo net enzyme activity, the efficiency of the various bioconversion steps (measured as % of bioconverted substrate) confirmed an opposing trend. A 3.2-fold higher Δ-6 desaturase affinity towards 18:3n-3 over 18:2n-6 and an 8-fold greater Δ-5 desaturase affinity towards 20:4n-3 over 20:3n-6 were recorded. The main results of the study were that (1) rainbow trout are quite efficient at bioconverting 18:3n-3 to 22:6n-3, and (2) the LC-PUFA biosynthetic pathway is substrate limited. Fillet n-3 LC-PUFA concentrations increased with the increasing dietary supply of 18:3n-3. Despite an almost identical dietary supply of n-3 LC-PUFA, originating from the fish meal fraction of the diets, the fillets of trout fed the diet richest in 18:3n-3 were 2-fold higher in n-3 LC-PUFA than fish fed low 18:3n-3 diets. Nevertheless, fillets of trout fed a fish oil control diet contained more than double the amount of n-3 LC-PUFA compared to fish fed the diets richest in 18:3n-3.

Quantitation of Underivatized Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids in Foods by HPLC and Charged Aerosol Detection

The omega fatty acids are a group of compounds that include essential n-3 (omega-3, e.g., a-linolenic acid [ALA]), n-6 (omega-6, e.g., linoleic and arachidonic acids), and nonessential n-9, (omega-9, e.g., oleic and erucic acids) analytes. The omega-3 fatty acids, which also include eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), are required for normal growth. Their consumption is purported to have a number of health benefits: e.g., cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease prevention, and improved immune function. Although both omega-3 and -6 fatty acids can give rise to eicosanoid-signaling molecules (prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes), the omega-6 eicosanoids are generally pro-inflammatory and may play a role in cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis. It appears that the amounts and balance of omega fatty acids in a person’s diet affect their eicosanoid-controlled functions. A proper balance of omega fatty acids in the diet is important. Traditionally, omega fatty acids are measured using gas chromatography (GC). For foods, analytes are extracted from the samples prior to hydrolysis to release the fatty acids from their triglycerides, then converted to their volatile methyl esters prior to analysis by GC. This approach is tedious, time-consuming, and the high temperatures can affect polyunsaturated fatty acid stability. The Thermo Scientific Dionex Corona charged aerosol detector provides a univeral massbased approach that is sensitive, has a wide dynamic range, and has a major advantage in that all nonvolative analytes give similar response independent of chemical structure. No derivatization is required, and unlike UV detection, the analyte does not need to contain a chromophore. Presented here is a simple and direct high-performance liquid chromatography and charged aerosol detection (HPLC-charged-aerosol-detector) method that can be used to measure omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids in traditional and commercially produced meat, fish, and oils, as well as over-the-counter supplements. Quantitation of Underivatized Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids in Foods by HPLC and Charged Aerosol Detection Ian Acworth, Marc Plante, Bruce Bailey, and Christopher Crafts Thermo Fisher Scientific, Chelmsford, MA, USA Introduction The common determination of omega lipids in foods comprises several steps, including extraction, hydroysis, and derivitization for measurement by GC. GC works well as a standard analytical tool for these determinations but requires alteration of the sample, and it can also adversely affect temperature-sensitive functional groups on specialized lipids. HPLC with ultraviolet detection requires use of low wavelengths, which limits solvent selection and increases the likelihood of matrix interference. Shown here is a reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of omega fatty acids in oil/food samples using a dual-gradient method and charged aerosol detection. This combination enables determination of many fatty acids in a single analysis, and without the sample derivatization that is required for GC analysis. Several fatty acids were analyzed, including six omega-3 fatty acids (stearidonic acid [SDA], eicosapentanoic acid [EPA], a-linolenic acid [ALA], docosahexanoic acid [DHA], docosapentanoic acid [DPA], eicosatrienoic acid [ETA]), five omega-6 fatty acids (γ-linolenic acid [GLA], arachidonic acid [Arach.], linoleic acid [LLA], adrenic acid, and eicosadienioic acid [EDA]), and two omega-9 fatty acids (oleic and erucic acids). An omega-7 fatty acid, 9E,14Z-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), was also included due to its cited importance as a nutrient.1,2 Charged aerosol detection is mass sensitive and can be added to HPLC or ultra HPLC (UHPLC) platforms. The detector provides the most consistent response for all nonvolatile and some semivolatile analytes of all HPLC detection techniques.3 It works by charging particles as shown in Figure 1, and is not dependent on light scattering, which has large variability and generally lower sensitivity. Charged aerosol detection has been successfully used to characterize lipids of all classification,4 including phospholipids (reversed phase5 and normal phase6,7), acylglycerides, phytosterols, free fatty acids, and free fatty alcohols. This method complements the free fatty acids method, using higher specificity for these analytes and a Thermo Scientific Acclaim C30 reversed-phase column.

Decreased Postnatal Docosahexaenoic and Arachidonic Acid Blood Levels in Premature Infants are Associated with Neonatal Morbidities

To measure the changes in whole blood fatty acid levels in premature infants and evaluate associations between these changes and neonatal morbidities. This was a retrospective cohort study of 88 infants born at <30 weeks' gestation. Serial fatty acid profiles during the first postnatal month and infant outcomes, including chronic lung disease (CLD), retinopathy of prematurity, and late-onset sepsis, were analyzed. Regression modeling was applied to determine the association between fatty acid levels and neonatal morbidities. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid levels declined rapidly in the first postnatal week, with a concomitant increase in linoleic acid levels. Decreased DHA level was associated with an increased risk of CLD (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3-5.0). Decreased arachidonic acid level was associated with an increased risk of late-onset sepsis (hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7). The balance of fatty acids was also a predictor of CLD and late-onset sepsis. An increased linoleic acid:DHA ratio was associated with an increased risk of CLD (OR, 8.6; 95% CI, 1.4-53.1) and late-onset sepsis (hazard ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.5-14.1). Altered postnatal fatty acid levels in premature infants are associated with an increased risk of CLD and late-onset sepsis.

Role of FAT/CD36 in novel PKC isoform activation in heart of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Disruption to the sensitive balance of long-chain fatty acids and glucose in the heart could cause cardiovascular diseases. Searching for a possible role of novel protein kinase C (nPKC) in heart with disrupted energy balance, we compared the insulin-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which carry a nonfunctional variant of the fatty acid transporter FAT/CD36, with the less insulin-resistant congenic strain SHR-4 that is genetically identical except for a segment on chromosome 4 including a wild-type gene for a functional FAT/CD36. We analyzed expression of the nPKC-δ and -ε isoforms plus triacylglycerols (TAG) content in the myocardium of both FAT/CD36 strains and after a high sucrose diet (HSD). Two weeks before killing, males of both strains were randomly divided into two groups and fed either a standard laboratory chow or an HSD. PKC was determined by Western blotting in particulate and cytosolic fractions from left ventricles. The SHR-4 rats exhibited lower serum levels of insulin and free fatty acids than did SHR rats and higher amounts of PKC-ε in the heart particulate fraction. HSD caused accumulation of heart TAG in SHR but not in SHR-4. HSD increased PKC-δ and decreased PKC-ε expression in particulate fraction from left ventricles of SHR-4 while having no effects in SHR. These results demonstrate that reduced insulin resistance in SHR-4 rats with wild-type FAT/CD36 is associated with the insulin signaling pathway involving nPKCs.

Prevention and Treatment of Allergic Asthma in Pregnancy: From Conventional Drugs to New Therapeutical Approaches

Different conventional anti-asthmatic and anti-allergic drugs are commonly used in pregnancy, including inhaled corticosteroids, long- and short-acting β-agonists, leukotriene modifiers, cromolyn, and theophylline. Alternatively, immunotherapy with allergens before and during pregnancy is accepted as a causal treatment of allergies, but the allergy specifity and severity in combination with a variety of application protocols and procedures cause wide heterogenity of this treatment principle. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classification of conventional anti-allergic drugs and immunological implications of immunotherapy are summarized in this review, and insights on fetal programming of allergies are introduced. We propose a potential perspective of treatment with anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving mediators, such as lipoxins, resolvins and protectins; these are lipid mediators physiologically generated during the immune response from arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. This proposal fits with the recently appreciated approaches to allergy prevention for the newborn child by a balanced maternal nutrition and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption.