Ingestion of Fish Oil or a Derived n-3 Fatty Acid Concentrate Containing Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Affects Fatty Acid Compositions of Individual Phospholipids of Rat Brain, Sciatic Nerve and Retina

Abstract

The effect of feeding redfish (Sebastes marinus or mantella) oil or a derived n-3 fatty acid concentrate containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the fatty acid compositions of individual phospholipids in selected neural tissues was studied in growing male rats. Control animals were given sunflower oil in the diet for the 5-wk feeding trial. Lipid analyses revealed that EPA (20:5n-3) became significantly enriched in all phospholipid fractions (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol) in the tissues studied (brain, retina and sciatic nerve) in the two n-3 fatty acid dietary groups relative to controls. Corresponding changes were also found in the 22:5n-3 contents of these tissues, whereas little or no significant elevation in DHA (22:6n-3) was found. In contrast, the percentages by weight of the n-6 fatty acids including 18:2n-6, 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, AA), 22:4n-6 and 22:5n-6 were generally lower in the various phospholipids/tissues of the animals given fish oil or the n-3 fatty acid concentrate; the levels of 22:5n-6 and 22:4n-6 were markedly affected in this regard. These results indicate that dietary n-3 fatty acids (as EPA plus DHA) can greatly affect the fatty acid compositions of the various membrane phospholipids in nervous tissues within a relatively short time. These biochemical alterations may be important for functional changes including altered membrane fluidity, cellular responses, ion transport and the biosyntheses of AA- and EPA-derived prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Digestion and absorption of polyunsaturated fatty acids

“…Les (Galloway et al, 1985). Particularly n-3, polyunsaturated fatty acids have a very specific role in the membrane of the nervous system (Bourre et al, 1989 (Goodnight et al, 1982;Philbrick et al, 1987). Polyunsaturated fatty acids are precursors of lipid mediators which play a key role in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.…”

Beneficial Effect Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Supplemented Diet on Altered Composition of Plasma Fatty Acids in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

“…As shown in Table 4, plasma docosahexaenoic acid concentration was correlated strongly with the clinical data (KICG, albumin, cholesterol, and bilirubin). Relatively large levels of docosahexaenoic acid were found in the phospholipid fractions in nervous tissues [11]. Further study on the physiological roles of docosahexaenoic acid in the cirrhotic patient is necessary.…”

High-resolution structural model of porcine P2 myelin membrane protein with associated fatty acid ligand: Fact or artifact?

“…In particular, the a type is associated with decreasing cardiovascular death; fatal heart arrhythmia (Breslow, 2006); and alterations of membrane fluidity, cellular responses, ion transport (Philbrick et al, 1987), and learning ability (Yamamoto et al, 2007). The expression of CNP was significantly increased by g-linolenic acid (18:3, n-6, n-9, n-12), as well as an increase in proteolipid-positive oligodendrocytes, with increased myelin sheet formation (Meeteren et al, 2006).…”