Omega-3 Docosapentaenoic Acid Research Articles

Comparison of Fatty Acid Contents of Erythrocyte Membrane in Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Membrane fatty acid composition plays an important role in the cellular function. Erythrocyte fatty acid composition mirrors that of myocardium and is influenced by diet. Earlier studies have shown significant alterations of membrane fatty acid composition in ethnically mixed patients with end-stage renal disease. Given the impact of ethnic and dietary factors, we sought to examine membrane fatty acid composition in an ethnically homogeneous end-stage renal disease population residing in a coastal region of Korea with high fish consumption. Cross-sectional study. Outpatient facility at Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea. We recruited 15 stable hemodialysis patients, 14 peritoneal dialysis patients, and 10 age- and gender-matched normal controls. Patients with significant malnutrition, short duration of dialysis, recent infection, malignancy, or liver disease were excluded. Dietary intake and use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements were determined. Erythrocyte membrane fatty acid contents measured by gas chromatography. Palmitoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid levels were lower, whereas oleic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid levels were higher in patients with end-stage renal disease compared with the control group. Total monounsaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic acid and oleic acid) were significantly higher in peritoneal dialysis than in hemodialysis patients. Eicosapentaenoic acid and omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid were significantly higher, but total omega-6 fatty acids, omega-6/omega-3, and arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid ratios were significantly lower in hemodialysis patients consuming omega-3 supplements compared with those who did not. Patients with end-stage renal disease exhibited significant alterations in erythrocyte membrane fatty acids, which were partially modified by the dialysis modality and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.

Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) is a critical determinant of cubic membrane formation in amoeba Chaos mitochondria

Very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), have recently made it to the realm of "magical molecules" based on their multiple presumably beneficial effects in biological systems, making these PUFAs particularly interesting in biomedicine. Their specific biological functions, however, remain enigmatic. Here we provide evidence derived from studies in the amoeba Chaos that indicates a structural role for omega-6 DPA in cell membrane organization, which may help to explain the multiple diverse effects of VLC-PUFA in healthy and diseased states. Amoeba Chaos mitochondria undergo a remarkable and reversible morphological transition into cubic morphology on starvation. This morphological transition is reflected in major changes in fatty acid and lipid composition, as determined by gas liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, in particular by a drastic increase in C22:5 modified phosphatidylcholine plasmalogen, phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen, and phosphatidylinositol species. Liposomes produced in vitro from lipids of starved amoeba cells show a high propensity to form hexagonal tubular and cubic morphologies. Addition of omega-6 DPA, but not of omega-3 DPA, to the cell culture also induced mitochondrial membrane transformation into cubic morphology in fed cells, demonstrating for the first time an important structural role of omega-6 DPA-containing lipids in cell membrane organization.

Biosynthetic production of universally 13C-labelled polyunsaturated fatty acids as reference materials for natural health product research

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) have become important natural health products with numerous proven benefits related to brain function and cardiovascular health. Not only are omega-3 fatty acids available in a plethora of dietary supplements, but they are also increasingly being incorporated as triglycerides into conventional foods, including bread, milk, yoghurt and confectionaries. Recently, transgenic oil seed crops and livestock have been developed that enhance omega-3 fatty acid content. This diverse array of matrices presents a difficult analytical challenge and is compounded further by samples generated through clinical research. Stable isotope (13)C-labelled LCPUFA standards offer many advantages as research tools because they may be distinguished from their naturally abundant counterparts by mass spectrometry and directly incorporated as internal standards into analytical procedures. Further, (13)C-labelled LCPUFAs are safe to use as metabolic tracers to study uptake and metabolism in humans. Currently, (13)C-labelled LCPUFAs are expensive, available in limited supply and not in triglyceride form. To resolve these issues, marine heterotrophic microorganisms are being isolated and screened for LCPUFA production with a view to the efficient biosynthetic production of U-(13)C-labelled fatty acids using U-(13)C glucose as a carbon source. Of 37 isolates obtained, most were thraustochytrids, and either DHA or omega-6 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-6) were produced as the major LCPUFA. The marine protist Hyalochlorella marina was identified as a novel source of EPA and omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3). As proof of principle, gram-level production of (13)C-labelled DHA has been achieved with high chemical purity ( >99%) and high (13)C incorporation levels (>90%), as confirmed by NMR and MS analyses. Finally, U-(13)C-DHA was enzymatically re-esterified to glycerol to yield a (13)C-labelled tridocosahexaenoin.

Anti-inflammatory activity of algal oils containing Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and omega-6 Docosapentaenoic Acid (DPAn-6) (101.5)

Abstract Background: Studies have shown anti-inflammatory activity associated with fish oil and ascribed this effect to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of DHA-rich algal oils which contain little or no EPA and determine the contribution of their individual constituent fatty acids, particularly DHA and DPAn-6. Results: The effects of feeding DHA-rich Martek DHA-T™ algal oil and DHA/DPAn-6-rich Martek DHA-S™ algal oil on rat carrageenan-induced hind paw edema was examined. The S-oil was more effective at reducing edema than the T-oil, suggesting that DPAn-6 has anti-inflammatory properties. We next tested the in vitro effects of the individual pure fatty acids on reducing LPS-stimulated IL-1β and TNF-α secretion by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The relative potency was DPAn-6 (most potent) > DHA > EPA. All three fatty acids were effective at reducing by >50% neutrophil fMLP-mediated migration in vitro. Further in vivo analyses demonstrated that feeding pure DHA and EPA ethyl esters (EE) reduced paw edema and the combination of DHA/DPAn6-EE which mimics algal oil was more potent than the combination of DHA/EPA-EE which mimics fish oil. Conclusions: DHA, DPAn-6, and EPA have anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Algal S-oil containing the combination of DHA and DPAn-6 shows potential for use in anti-inflammatory applications.