BackgroundLong‐chain fatty acids are essential components of the cellular energy supply, cellular membranes, and autacoid synthesis. It has been suggested that long‐chain fatty acids might be involved in the pathophysiology underlying sarcopenia. We investigated the association between sarcopenia and serum long‐chain fatty acid profile in patients with cardiovascular diseases.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated 308 cardiovascular patients [age: 72 ± 12 (mean ± SD), 174 male patients] admitted to our hospital. All patients were evaluated by sarcopenia diagnostic tests and serum free fatty acid analyses.ResultsSeventy‐seven patients (25%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Serum fatty acid weight percentages of nervonic acid and erucic acid were elevated in patients with sarcopenia compared with those without. Nervonic acid, which was an independent factor for sarcopenia in binary logistics regression analysis (B = 2.559, p < 0.001), correlated negatively with skeletal muscle index (r = −0.331, p < 0.001), gait speed (r = −0.387, p < 0.001), and handgrip strength (r = −0.372, p < 0.001). These significant relationships were confirmed in subgroup analyses stratified by age and gender. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut‐off of nervonic acid weight percentage for diagnosis of sarcopenia was 1.37% with a sensitivity and specificity of 76.6% and 65.1%, respectively.ConclusionsNervonic acid, an n‐9 monounsaturated fatty acid, might serve as a new marker for sarcopenia in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Further studies with larger patient numbers will be needed to determine the roles of long‐chain fatty acids in sarcopenia.

Carbon monoxide was absorbed by cuprous ion up to CO(absorbed)/Cu(I) ratio of 4 in BF3-water systems under atmospheric pressure. Infrared spectra of the solutions revealed an interaction between Cu+ and CO, indicating formation of Cu(CO)4+.

Trimethylacetic acid (T. M. A. A.) was obtained as the main product together with C6, C8, C9, C13 acids and isobutylene oligomers.The rate of absorption of CO increased with the increase of BF3/H2O molar ratio of the catalyst. Carboxylic acids produced were usually distributed between solvent layer and catalyst layer, and the product distribution between both layers was greatly affected both by the BF3/H2O molar ratio of the catalyst and by reaction temperature. Total yield of carboxylic acids had the molar ratios, but in the case of catalyst of molar ratio lower than 0.5 BF3/H2O, the yield of carboxylic acids increased along with the reaction temperature.Although the mode of addition of water to the reaction mixture did not show an appreciable effect on the total amount of carboxyl group in the products, it had an appreciable effect on the T. M. A. A. content in the acids produced.The effect of reaction time on the distribution of the products was studied too. In the early stage of the reaction, the larger part of I. B. introduced was converted into I. B. oligomers and the amount of I. B. used for the formation of carboxylic acids was comparatively small. In this stage the C9 acid content in the carboxylic acids produced predominated over that of T. M. A. A., C6 and C8, and C13 acids were also produced in appreciable amounts. However, in the latter stage of the reaction, the yield of carboxylic acids and the content of T. M. A. A. in the products increased at the expense of I. B. oligomers. The change in the composition of C9 acids in the course of the reaction was also observed.Based on the results obtained, the reaction scheme for carboxylation of isobutylene and its oligomers was discussed.

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