Fatty Acid Composition Of Cardiolipin Research Articles

Role of Lysocardiolipin Acyltransferase in Cigarette Smoke-Induced Lung Epithelial Cell Mitochondrial ROS, Mitochondrial Dynamics, and Apoptosis.

Cigarette smoke is the primary cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced oxidative damage of the lungs results in mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis of epithelium. Mitochondrial cardiolipin (CL) present in the inner mitochondrial membrane plays an important role in mitochondrial function, wherein its fatty acid composition is regulated by lysocardiolipin acyltransferase (LYCAT). In this study, we investigated the role of LYCAT expression and activity in mitochondrial oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamics, and lung epithelial cell apoptosis. LYCAT expression was increased in human lung specimens from smokers, and cigarette smoke-exposed-mouse lung tissues. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) increased LYCAT mRNA levels and protein expression, modulated cardiolipin fatty acid composition, and enhanced mitochondrial fission in the bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B in vitro. Inhibition of LYCAT activity with a peptide mimetic, attenuated CSE-mediated mitochondrial (mt) reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial fragmentation, and apoptosis, while MitoTEMPO attenuated CSE-induced MitoROS, mitochondrial fission and apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that increased LYCAT expression promotes MitoROS, mitochondrial dynamics and apoptosis of lung epithelial cells. Given the key role of LYCAT in mitochondrial cardiolipin remodeling and function, strategies aimed at inhibiting LYCAT activity and ROS may offer an innovative approach to minimize lung inflammation caused by cigarette smoke.

Characterizing Cardiolipin Species in the Hearts After Anthracycline Administration

ObjectivesAnthracyclines damage the heart by binding to the inner mitochondrial membrane phospholipid cardiolipin and promoting mitochondrial dysfunction. Our goal is to characterize how anthracylcines change the fatty acid profile of cardiolipin, and the genes controlling cardiolipin synthesis and remodeling in order to develop dietary strategies to target cardiolipin within damaged hearts. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were randomized to receive seven IP, anthracycline injections (one week apart) or saline control injections. Six hours after the final injection, mice were euthanized under isoflurane and hearts were collected for mRNA and cardiolipin species analysis. Cardiolipin was measured using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in an API 4000 mass spectrometer (Sciex, Framingham, MA). A student’s t-test was used to determine significance between the groups. ResultsWhile the amount of tetralinolylcardiolipin (the major cardiolipin species in the heart) was not altered with anthracycline treatment, several other cardiolipin species were significantly increased, including cardiolipin species that contain arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. In addition we observed a significant decrease in the proportion of monolysocardiolipin species in the heart and a trend towards increased oxidized cardiolipin species given anthracycline treatment. ConclusionsPrevious studies have shown the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin effects mitochondrial structure and function. Administration of anthracyclines alters cardiolipin species in the heart. Knowing that anthracyclines influences the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin, we can explore dietary interventions that favorably change cardiolipin fatty acid composition, with the goal of preventing anthracycline-induced heart damage by improving mitochondrial function. Funding SourcesFunding was provided by NIH R21CA185140, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center, the Carol S. Kennedy Professorship, and the Ohio State University Education and Human Ecology Dissertation Research Fellowship.

A mouse model of short-term, diet-induced fatty liver with abnormal cardiolipin remodeling via downregulated Tafazzin gene expression.

Cardiolipin (CL) helps maintain mitochondrial structure and function. Here we investigated whether a high carbohydrate diet (HCD) fed to mice for a short period (5 days) could modulate the CL level, including that of monolysoCL (MLCL) in the liver. Total CL in the HCD group was 22% lower than that in the normal chow diet (NCD) group (P < 0.05). The CL72:8 level strikingly decreased by 93% (P < 0.0001), whereas total nascent CLs (CLs other than CL72:8) increased (P < 0.01) in the HCD group. The total MLCL in the HCD group increased by 2.4-fold compared with that in the NCD group (P < 0.05). Tafazzin expression in the HCD group was significantly downregulated compared with that in the NCD group (P < 0.05). A strong positive correlation between nascent CL and total MLCL (r=0.955, P < 0.0001), and a negative correlation between MLCL and Tafazzin expression (r=-0.593, P=0.0883) were observed. A HCD modulated the fatty acid composition of CL and MLCL via Tafazzin in the liver, which could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. This model may be useful for elucidating the relationship between fatty liver and mitochondrial dysfunction. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biological Diversity and Remodeling of Cardiolipin in Oxidative Stress and Age-Related Pathologies.

Age-related dysfunctions are accompanied by impairments in the mitochondrial morphology, activity of signaling pathway, and protein interactions. Cardiolipin is one of the most important phospholipids that maintains the curvature of the cristae and facilitates assembly and interaction of complexes and supercomplexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The fatty acid composition of cardiolipin influences the biophysical properties of the membrane and, therefore, is crucial for the mitochondrial bioenergetics. The presence of unsaturated fatty acids in cardiolipin is the reason of its susceptibility to oxidative damage. Damaged cardiolipin undergoes remodeling by phospholipases, acyltransferases, and transacylases, creating a highly specific fatty acyl profile for each tissue. In this review, we discuss the variability of cardiolipin fatty acid composition in various species and different tissues of the same species, both in the norm and at various pathologies (e.g., age-related diseases, oxidative and traumatic stresses, knockouts/knockdowns of enzymes of the cardiolipin synthesis pathway). Progressive pathologies, including age-related ones, are accompanied by cardiolipin depletion and decrease in the efficiency of its remodeling, as well as the activation of an alternative way of pathological remodeling, which causes replacement of cardiolipin fatty acids with polyunsaturated ones (e.g., arachidonic or docosahexaenoic acids). Drugs or special diet can contribute to the partial restoration of the cardiolipin acyl profile to the one rich in fatty acids characteristic of an intact organ or tissue, thereby correcting the consequences of pathological or insufficient cardiolipin remodeling. In this regard, an urgent task of biomedicine is to study the mechanism of action of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants effective in the treatment of age-related pathologies and capable of accumulating not only in vitro, but also in vivo in the cardiolipin-enriched membrane fragments.

Modulation of the Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 lipidome by different growth conditions.

Probiotics are bacteria used in the food industry due to their potential health benefits. In this study, the plasma membrane of the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 was investigated using state-of-the-art high-resolution shotgun lipidomics. Comparisons of the lipidome of the plasma membrane were done after altering the fatty acid composition by supplementing L. acidophilus La-5 with saturated, mono-, di- and tri-unsaturated fatty acids during fermentation. The plasma membrane with the highest degree of saturation resulted in a lipid composition with the highest proportion of cardiolipin (CL) and lowest proportion of monolysocardiolipin (MLCL). No significant changes were found for other lipid classes. The bacteria grown with di- and tri-unsaturated fatty acids were expected to have more unsaturated plasma membranes than bacteria grown with mono-unsaturated fatty acids. This was also the case for MLCL, but the numbers of double bonds for CL were quite similar for these three samples. The results indicate that L. acidophilus La-5 possesses a molecular mechanism for remodelling and optimizing the fatty acid composition of CL and MLCL species and the molar ratio of CL and MLCL. This study contributes new knowledge on the previously uninvestigated lipidome of L. acidophilus La-5.

Tafazzins from Drosophila and mammalian cells assemble in large protein complexes with a short half-life

Tafazzin is a transacylase that affects cardiolipin fatty acid composition and mitochondrial function. Mutations in human tafazzin cause Barth syndrome yet the enzyme has mostly been characterized in yeast. To study tafazzin in higher organisms, we isolated mitochondria from Drosophila and mammalian cell cultures. Our data indicate that tafazzin binds to multiple protein complexes in these organisms, and that the interactions of tafazzin lack strong specificity. Very large tafazzin complexes could only be detected in the presence of cardiolipin, but smaller complexes remained intact even upon treatment with phospholipase A2. In mammalian cells, tafazzin had a half-life of only 3–6h, which was much shorter than the half-life of other mitochondrial proteins. The data suggest that tafazzin is a transient resident of multiple protein complexes.

Autosomal Dominant Inheritance of Brain Cardiolipin Fatty Acid Abnormality in VM/DK Mice: Association with Hypoxic‐Induced Cognitive Insensitivity

Cardiolipin is a complex polyglycerol phospholipid found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane and regulates numerous enzyme activities especially those related to oxidative phosphorylation and coupled respiration. Abnormalities in cardiolipin can impair mitochondrial function and bioenergetics. We recently demonstrated that the ratio of shorter chain saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (C16:0; C18:0; C18:1) to longer chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (C18:2; C20:4; C22:6) was significantly greater in the brains of adult VM/DK (VM) inbred mice than in the brains of C57BL/6J (B6) mice. The cardiolipin fatty acid abnormalities in VM mice are also associated with alterations in the activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes. In this study we found that the abnormal brain fatty acid ratio in the VM strain was inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in reciprocal B6×VM F1 hybrids. To evaluate the potential influence of brain cardiolipin fatty acid composition on cognitive sensitivity, we placed the parental B6 and VM mice and their reciprocal male and female B6VMF1 hybrid mice (3-month-old) in a hypoxic chamber (5% O2). Cognitive awareness (conscientiousness) under hypoxia was significantly lower in the VM parental mice and F1 hybrid mice (11.4±0.4 and 11.0±0.4min, respectively) than in the parental B6 mice (15.3±1.4min), indicating an autosomal dominant inheritance like that of the brain cardiolipin abnormalities. These findings suggest that impaired cognitive awareness under hypoxia is associated with abnormalities in neural lipid composition.

PSS268 - Acetaminophen Protects Mitochondrial Function by Regulating Cardiolipin Fatty Acid Composition

PSS268 - Acetaminophen Protects Mitochondrial Function by Regulating Cardiolipin Fatty Acid Composition

Acetate supplementation increases brain phosphocreatine and reduces AMP levels with no effect on mitochondrial biogenesis

Acetate supplementation in rats increases plasma acetate and brain acetyl-CoA levels. Although acetate is used as a marker to study glial energy metabolism, the effect that acetate supplementation has on normal brain energy stores has not been quantified. To determine the effect(s) that an increase in acetyl-CoA levels has on brain energy metabolism, we measured brain nucleotide, phosphagen and glycogen levels, and quantified cardiolipin content and mitochondrial number in rats subjected to acetate supplementation. Acetate supplementation was induced with glyceryl triacetate (GTA) by oral gavage (6g/kg body weight). Rats used for biochemical analysis were euthanized using head-focused microwave irradiation at 2, and 4h following treatment to immediately stop metabolism. We found that acetate did not alter brain ATP, ADP, NAD, GTP levels, or the energy charge ratio [ECR, (ATP+½ ADP)/(ATP+ADP+AMP)] when compared to controls. However, after 4h of treatment brain phosphocreatine levels were significantly elevated with a concomitant reduction in AMP levels with no change in glycogen levels. In parallel studies where rats were treated with GTA for 28days, we found that acetate did not alter brain glycogen and mitochondrial biogenesis as determined by measuring brain cardiolipin content, the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin and using quantitative ultra-structural analysis to determine mitochondrial density/unit area of cytoplasm in hippocampal CA3 neurons. Collectively, these data suggest that an increase in brain acetyl-CoA levels by acetate supplementation does increase brain energy stores however it has no effect on brain glycogen and neuronal mitochondrial biogenesis.

Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid (22:6) Incorporates into Cardiolipin at the Expense of Linoleic Acid (18:2): Analysis and Potential Implications

Cardiolipin is a signature phospholipid of major functional significance in mitochondria. In heart mitochondria the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin is commonly viewed as highly regulated due to its high levels of linoleic acid (18:2n − 6) and the dominant presence of a 4×18:2 molecular species. However, analysis of data from a comprehensive compilation of studies reporting changes in fatty acid composition of cardiolipin in heart and liver mitochondria in response to dietary fat shows that, in heart the accrual of 18:2 into cardiolipin conforms strongly to its dietary availability at up to 20% of total dietary fatty acid and thereafter is regulated. In liver, no dietary conformer trend is apparent for 18:2 with regulated lower levels across the dietary range for 18:2. When 18:2 and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n − 3) are present in the same diet, 22:6 is incorporated into cardiolipin of heart and liver at the expense of 18:2 when 22:6 is up to ~20% and 10% of total dietary fatty acid respectively. Changes in fatty acid composition in response to dietary fat are also compared for the two other main mitochondrial phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, and the potential consequences of replacement of 18:2 with 22:6 in cardiolipin are discussed.

Dietary fatty acids modulate liver mitochondrial cardiolipin content and its fatty acid composition in rats with non alcoholic fatty liver disease

No data are reported on changes in mitochondrial membrane phospholipids in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We determined the content of mitochondrial membrane phospholipids from rats with non alcoholic liver steatosis, with a particular attention for cardiolipin (CL) content and its fatty acid composition, and their relation with the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. Different dietary fatty acid patterns leading to steatosis were explored. With high-fat diet, moderate macrosteatosis was observed and the liver mitochondrial phospholipid class distribution and CL fatty acids composition were modified. Indeed, both CL content and its C18:2n-6 content were increased with liver steatosis. Moreover, mitochondrial ATP synthase activity was positively correlated to the total CL content in liver phospholipid and to CL C18:2n-6 content while other complexes activity were negatively correlated to total CL content and/or CL C18:2n-6 content of liver mitochondria. The lard-rich diet increased liver CL synthase gene expression while the fish oil-rich diet increased the (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids content in CL. Thus, the diet may be a significant determinant of both the phospholipid class content and the fatty acid composition of liver mitochondrial membrane, and the activities of some of the respiratory chain complex enzymes may be influenced by dietary lipid amount in particular via modification of the CL content and fatty acid composition in phospholipid.

Delta‐6 desaturase inhibition reverses cardiolipin remodeling and hypertrophy, but not mitochondrial dysfunction, in the aged mouse heart

Alterations in the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin (CL), a mitochondrial phospholipid, may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction associated with myocardial aging, but its mechanism and role in this process remains unclear. We hypothesized that CL remodeling in the aged heart, characterized by a loss of linoleic acid (LA) and increase in highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), results from increased activity of delta 6‐desaturase (D6D), which catalyzes the production of HUFAs from essential fatty acids such as LA. Aged (24 mo) C57Bl/6 mice were administered a selective D6D inhibitor (SC‐26196, 100 mpk/d; SC) or no drug for 4 weeks, followed by isolation of cardiac subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar (IFM) mitochondria for assessment of respiratory function and CL composition. Aged hearts exhibited a classic pattern of CL remodeling in IFM, but not SSM, which paralleled a 25% loss in state 3 respiration in IFM only. SC reversed CL remodeling in IFM, but had no effect on mitochondrial respiration. Interestingly, SC also reversed left ventricular dilatation, reduced heart weight and attenuated contractile dysfunction in aged mice. These studies indicate that D6D plays a pivotal role in CL remodeling in the aged heart, but argue against the role of this process in mitochondrial dysfunction. The mechanism by which D6D influences cardiac remodeling and function warrants further investigation. Funding: AHA

Small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering study on the bilayer structure of synthetic and bovine heart cardiolipins

Cardiolipin (CL) is a membrane phospholipid containing four fatty acid chains. CL plays an important role in energy transformation in mitochondria. The disorder of CL biosynthesis is involved in a genetic disease, Barth syndrome. Alteration of fatty acid composition of CLs has been found in Barth syndrome patients, i.e., the decrease of unsaturated fatty acid chains. In this study, we investigated how the degree of saturation alters the structure of CL bilayers by using X-ray scattering. Bovine heart CL and two synthetic CLs were compared. Fatty acid compositions of these three CLs have different saturation. Small-angle X-ray scattering data showed that the decrease of the number of double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acid chains causes to thicken the CL bilayers. In addition, wide-angle X-ray scattering data suggested that the decrease reduces the degree of disorder of the hydrophobic region in a liquid crystalline phase. These results may be related to the dysfunction of mitochondria in Barth syndrome.

Efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in liver mitochondria is decreased in a rat model of peritoneal carcinosis

Cancer cachexia is a dynamic process characterized by a negative energy balance induced by anorexia and hypermetabolism. The mechanisms leading to hypermetabolism are not totally elucidated. This study examines the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and energy wasting in liver mitochondria isolated from rats with cancer cachexia induced by peritoneal carcinosis (PC). PC was generated by an intraperitoneal injection of cancer cells (PROb) in BDIX rats. The efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and energy wasting as well as the role played by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cardiolipin (mitochondrial inner membrane phospholipid) in these processes were assessed in liver mitochondria of PC and pair-fed control rats. The efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation decreased (-26%) while energy wasting increased (+22%) in liver mitochondria from PC compared to control rats. The increased energy wasting was associated with a higher cardiolipin content (+55%, p<0.05; R(2)=0.64, p<0.05) and with a lower n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in cardiolipin (-45%, p<0.05; R(2)=0.21, p<0.05) in PC rats. ROS production was increased by 12-fold in liver mitochondria from PC rats. The efficiency of ATP synthesis was reduced and energy wasting processes were increased in liver mitochondria of PC rats. This suggests that liver mitochondria from PC rats request more nutrients than liver mitochondria from control rats to maintain the same ATP production. These alterations were associated to the content and fatty acid composition of cardiolipin.

Mechanisms of Action of Eicosapentaenoic Acid in Bladder Cancer Cells In Vitro: Alterations in Mitochondrial Metabolism, Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Apoptosis Induction

Eicosapentaenoic acid has been tested in bladder cancer as a synergistic cytotoxic agent in the form of meglumine-eicosapentaenoic acid, although its mechanism of action is poorly understood in this cancer. The current study analyzed the mechanisms by which eicosapentaenoic acid alters T24/83 human bladder cancer metabolism in vitro. T24/83 human bladder cancer cells were exposed to eicosapentaenoic acid for 6 to 24 hours in vitro and incorporation profiles were determined. Effects on membrane phospholipid incorporation, energy metabolism, mitochondrial activity, cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed. Reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxide production were also determined. Eicosapentaenoic acid was readily incorporated into membrane phospholipids with a considerable amount present in mitochondrial cardiolipin. Energy metabolism was significantly altered by eicosapentaenoic acid, accompanied by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased lipid peroxide and reactive oxygen species generation. Subsequently caspase-3 activation and apoptosis were detected in eicosapentaenoic acid exposed cells, leading to decreased cell numbers. These findings confirm that eicosapentaenoic acid is a potent cytotoxic agent in bladder cancer cells and provide important insight into the mechanisms by which eicosapentaenoic acid causes these changes. The changes in membrane composition that can occur with eicosapentaenoic acid likely contribute to the enhanced drug cytotoxicity reported previously in meglumine-eicosapentaenoic acid/epirubicin/mitomycin studies. Dietary manipulation of the cardiolipin fatty acid composition may provide an additional method for stimulating cell death in bladder cancer. In vivo studies using intravesical and dietary manipulation of fatty acid metabolism in bladder cancer merit further attention.

A Striking Parallel Between Cardiolipin Fatty Acid Composition and Phylogenetic Belonging in Marine Bivalves: A Possible Adaptative Evolution?

Thirty-five species of marine mollusk bivalves were analyzed for their fatty acid (FA) composition of cardiolipin (Ptd(2)Gro). All species showed a Ptd(2)Gro with strong selectivity for only a few polyunsaturated fatty acids, but three characteristic FA profiles emerged, with clear parallels to bivalve phylogeny. A first group of 12 species belonging to the Eupteriomorphia subgroup (Filibranchia) was characterized by a Ptd(2)Gro almost exclusively composed of 22:6n-3, whereas in the four Filibranchia Pteriomorph species analyzed, this FA was combined with substantial proportions of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3. Finally, a third group of 20 species, all belonging to the Heterodonta subclass, possessed Ptd(2)Gro containing predominantly both 22:6n-3 and 20:5n-3. Polyunsaturated FA moieties and arrangements in the Ptd(2)Gro of some marine species investigated in other classes of the mollusk phylum (Gastropoda, Polyplacophora) were found to be different. The present results suggest that the specific Ptd(2)Gro FA compositions in bivalves are likely to be controlled and conserved in species of the same phylogenetic group. Functional significances of the evolution of this mitochondrial lipid structure in bivalves are discussed.

Content and fatty acid composition of cardiolipin in the brain of patients with alzheimer's disease

The frontal, temporal and occipital cortex from human brains affected by Alzheimer's disease were analyzed for their contents and fatty acid compositions of cardiolipin. Phospholipids were purified using an HPLC system and cardiolipin was found to be present in the same amount (on a protein basis) as in age-matched controls. One-third of the total fatty acyl moieties of this phospholipid were saturated, one-third monounsaturated and one-third polyunsaturated. In affected brain regions the levels of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids displayed moderate decreases, not exceeding 10–15%. However, the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased by only 9%. These results demonstrate that the amount and structure of brain cardiolipin are not modified to any great extent in connection with Alzheimer's disease.

Enhanced cytochrome oxidase activity and modification of lipids in heart mitochondria from hyperthyroid rats

In order to further investigate the mechanism regulating the control of mitochondrial respiration by thyroid hormones, the effect of the hyperthyroidism on the kinetic characteristics of cytocrome c oxidase in rat heart mitochondria was studied. Mitochondrial preparations from both control and hyperthyroid rats had equivalent K m values for cytochrome c, while the maximal activity of cytochrome oxidase was significantly increased (by around 30%) in mitochondrial rats. This enhanced activity of cytochrome oxidase was associated to a parallel increases in mitochondrial State 3 respiration. The hormone treatment resulted in a decrease in the flux control coefficient of the oxidase. The enhanced activity of cytochrome oxidase in hyperthyroid rats does not appear to be dependent on an increases in the mass of this enzyme complex in that the heme aa 3 content was equivalent in both hyperthyroid and control preparations. The Arrhenius plot characteristics differ for cytochrome oxidase activity in mitochondria from hyperthyroid rats as compared with control rats in the breakpoint of the biphasic plot is shifted to a lower temperature. Cardiolipin content was significantly increased in mitochondrial preparations from hyperthyroid rats, while there were no significant alterations in the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin of control and hyperthyroid preparations. The results support the conclusion that the enhanced cytochrome oxidase activity in heart mitochondrial preparations from hyperthyroid rats is due to a specific increase in the content of cardiolipin.

Changes in Phospholipid Fatty Acid Composition of Mouse Cardiac Organelles after Feeding Graded Amounts of Docosahexaenoate in Presence of High Levels of Linoleate

Mice were fed diets containing a constant supply of linoleic acid (18:2n-6, LA) as ethyl ester representing 5% by weight of the total fat (5 wt%), in combination with graded amounts of purified docosahexaenoate (22:6n-3, DHA). Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondrial phospholipids (PL) from mice fed the diet without DHA contained higher levels of n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (22:4n-6 and 22:5n-6) compared to total PL of liver. In the cardiac mitochondrial PL, the level of LA, DHA, the total content of PUFA and the P/S ratio were significantly higher than in SR. A small increase in dietary DHA from 0 to 0.43 wt% induced a 3.6-fold increase in PL DHA content from both cardiac organelles, with a concurrent reduction of n-6 PUFA. The changes in fatty acid PL composition were much more moderate when dietary DHA level was increased to 0.85 and 3.74 wt%. Feeding the lowest amount of DHA resulted in a 6-fold decrease in the value of n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio and a 3.5-fold decrease in the value of 20 carbon chain/22 carbon chain PUFA ratio. DHA was readily depleted from cardiac PL, and only arachidonic acid was retained in the PL from both organelles, after feeding a fat-deficient diet. Despite these drastic modifications in PL fatty acid composition, the maximum velocity (Vm) of SR Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase was not affected, which indicates that SR cardiac membrane adapts to changes in fatty acid composition to prevent important modifications of its functional properties. However, the Vm of mitochondrial oligomycin-sensitive ATPase was slightly increased in mice fed the lowest amount of DHA. This might be due to an increase in P/S ratio and/or to a modification of cardiolipin fatty acid composition, since this PL is required for optimum function of this enzyme. It is concluded that DHA is strongly taken up by mouse cardiac PL, even in the presence of high dietary LA levels, but its acylation into PL has only little effect on the cardiac ATPase activities.

Fatty acid composition of cardiolipin from guinea pig Harderian gland.

The fatty acid composition of cardiolipin from the Harderian gland of guinea pig was examined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. At least 33 kinds of fatty acids were detected. Oleic acid was the most prominent component, accounting for 18.2 mol% of the total fatty acids. About 70.2 mol% of fatty acids had methyl branches. Ethyl branches were also detected (1.3 mol%). Straight chain saturated acids comprised only 10.3 mol%. On the other hand, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids were not found in this lipid. The 2-(2'-) acyl moieties contained larger amounts of oleic acid and smaller amounts of branched chain acids than the 1-(1'-)acyl moieties, but the saturated straight chain acids showed even distribution between the 1-(1'-) and 2-(2'-)positions. The fatty acids of cardiolipin from the liver of the same animal were also examined. Linoleic acid was the most abundant component (66.9 mol%), and saturated straight chain acids occupied 21.9 mol%. Branched chain acids were detected but comprised only 11.2 mol%.