Impact of Dietary Palmitic Acid on Lipid Metabolism

Abstract

Palmitic acid (PA) is ubiquitously present in dietary fat guaranteeing an average intake of about 20 g/d. The relative high requirement and relative content in the human body, which accounts for 20–30% of total fatty acids (FAs), is justified by its relevant nutritional role. In particular physiological conditions, such as in the fetal stage or in the developing brain, the respectively inefficient placental and brain blood–barrier transfer of PA strongly induces its endogenous biosynthesis from glucose via de novo lipogenesis (DNL) to secure a tight homeostatic control of PA tissue concentration required to exert its multiple physiological activities. However, pathophysiological conditions (insulin resistance) are characterized by a sustained DNL in the liver and aimed at preventing the excess accumulation of glucose, which result in increased tissue content of PA and disrupted homeostatic control of its tissue concentration. This leads to an overaccumulation of tissue PA, which results in dyslipidemia, increased ectopic fat accumulation, and inflammatory tone via toll-like receptor 4. Any change in dietary saturated FAs (SFAs) usually reflects a complementary change in polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) intake. Since PUFA particularly n-3 highly PUFA, suppress lipogenic gene expression, their reduction in intake rather than excess of dietary SFA may promote endogenous PA production via DNL. Thereby, the increase in tissue PA and its deleterious consequences from dysregulated DNL can be mistakenly attributed to dietary intake of PA.

Positive allosteric GABAA receptor modulation counteracts lipotoxicity-induced gene expression changes in hepatocytes in vitro

“…PA is one of the most abundant saturated fatty acids in diet ( Murru et al, 2022 ). Analysing the transcriptome in hepatocytes treated with PA to induce lipotoxicity, shows that short term palmitate exposure induces a specific gene expression profile.…”

Elemental, fatty acid, and protein composition of appendicoliths: Clues for understanding the pathogenesis of acute appendicitis

“…Palmitic acid is the most common saturated fatty acid found in the human body and can be provided in the diet, or synthesized endogenously from other fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids 16 . Full fat cheeses, red meat, butter, corn oil, and palm oil (frequently added to processed foods) contain large amounts of palmitic acid 17 . Interestingly, palmitic acid has been identi ed as a major component of gallstones, and diets high in palmitic acid have been associated with increased gallstone formation in animal models 18,19 .…”

Elemental, fatty acid, and protein composition of appendicoliths

“…Palmitic acid is the most common saturated fatty acid found in the human body and can be provided in the diet, or synthesized endogenously from other fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids 16 . Full fat cheeses, red meat, butter, corn oil and palm oil (frequently added to processed foods) contain large amounts of palmitic acid 17 . Interestingly, palmitic acid has been identified as a major component of gallstones, and diets high in palmitic acid have been associated with increased gallstone formation in animal models 18,19 .…”