Free fatty acids in the serum of patients with alcoholism

Blood free fatty acids and their composition were investigated in 25 alcohol abusers hospitalized for detoxication. Blood samples were collected at the admission to the hospital and following detoxication therapy. Free fatty acids were assayed with Dole's technique whereas their composition with gas chromatography. Liver functioning was evaluated with the aid of the following tests: AspAT, AlAT, AP, bilirubin concentration, and thymol test. An increase in free fatty acids concentration was seen in 12 out of 25 patients prior to detoxication. Blood serum free fatty acids were within normal limits in all except one patient after detoxication. A decrease in linoleic acid levels was seen in both total fatty acids and free fatty acids before detoxication. It is more marked in total fatty acids than in free fatty acids and persists after detoxication. Linoleic acid content in free fatty acids returns to the normal values following detoxication. An increase in oleic acid level accompanying a decrease in linoleic acid concentration is probably secondary to the stimulation with hydrogen excess formed during alcohol fermentation.     

Microbial biohydrogenation of oleic acid to trans isomers in vitro

Ruminant products are significant sources of dietary trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids, including various conjugated linoleic acid isomers, have been shown to act as metabolic modifiers of lipid metabolism. Trans fatty acids originate from biohydrogenation of dietary unsaturated fatty acids by gut microbes; however, the exact synthetic pathways are unclear. It was our goal to examine the biohydrogenation pathway for oleic acid, where oleic acid is hydrogenated directly to stearic acid. Our objective in this study was to trace the time course of appearance of 13C in labeled oleic acid to determine if trans monoenes are formed from the 13C-labeled oleic acid or if the 13C appears only in stearic acid as described in reviews of earlier work. Enrichments were calculated from the mass abundance of 13C in major fatty acid fragments and expressed as a percentage of total carbon isotopomers. Significant 13C enrichment was found in stearic acid, oleic acid, trans-6, trans-7, and in all trans C18:1 in positions 9-16. We concluded that the biohydrogenation of oleic acid by mixed ruminal microbes involves the formation of several positional isomers of trans monoenes rather than only direct biohydrogenation to form stearic acid as previously described.     

Metabolism of linoleic and arachidonic acids in VX2 carcinoma tissue: Identification of monohydroxy octadecadienoic acids and monohydroxy eicosatetraenoic acids

The metabolism of arachidonic and linoleic acids by VX₂ carcinoma tissue was determined. Prostaglandin E₂ was the major metabolic product of arachidonic acid in the neoplastic tissue. Minor products accounting for 3– 8% of arachidonic acid metabolism were 11-hydroxy-5, 8, 12, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid (11-HETE) and 15-hydroxy-5, 8, 11, 13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE). Linoleic acid was converted to a mixture of 9-hydroxy-10, 12-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODD) and 13-hydroxy-9, 11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODD). The conversion of linoleic acid to monohydroxy C-18 fatty acids varied from 40–80% 9-HODD and 20–60% 13-HODD in tumor tissue harvested from different animals. The quantity of monohydroxy C-18 fatty acids biosynthesized by VX₂ carcinoma tissue from endogenous linoleic acid equals or exceeds that of prostaglandin E₂ biosynthesis from endogenous arachidonic acid. The presence of a hydroxyl group adjacent to a conjugated diene suggest that the monohydroxy C-18 and monohydroxy C-20 fatty acids were formed via the action of lipoxygenase-like enzymes. These lipoxygenase-like reactions are inhibited by indomethacin in a concentration-dependent fashion similar to the inhibition of prostaglandin E₂ biosynthesis. The enzymes catalyzing the lipoxygenase-like reactions of linoleic and arachidonic acids are localized in the microsomal fraction of VX₂ carcinoma tissue. These data suggest that the lipoxygenase-like reactions are catalyzed by fatty acid cyclooxygenase and that there are two major pathways of fatty acid cyclooxygenase metabolism of polyenoic fatty acids in the neoplastic tissue. One pathway involves the formation of prostaglandin E₂ via cyclic endoperoxy intermediates. The second pathway involves the formation of monohydroxy C-18 fatty acids from linoleic acid via lipoxygenase-like reactions.     

Lipoxygenase-mediated cleavage of fatty acids to carbonyl fragments in tomato fruits

Homogenates of tomato fruits catalysed the enzymic conversion of linoleic and linolenic acids (but not oleic acid) to C₆ aldehydes in low (3–5%) molar yield. Hexanal was formed from linoleic acid; cis-3-hexenal and smaller amounts of trans-2-hexenal were formed from linolenic acid. With the fatty acids as substrates, the major products were fatty acid hydroperoxides (50–80% yield) and the ratio of 9- to 13-hydroperoxides as isolated from an incubation with linoleic acid was at least 95:5 in favour of the 9-hydroperoxide isomer. When the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides of linoleic acid were used as substrates with tomato homogenates, the 13-hydroperoxide was readily cleaved to hexanal in high molar yield (60%) but the 9-hydroperoxide isomer was not converted to cleavage products. Properties of the hydroperoxide cleavage system are described. The results indicate that the C₆ aldehydes are formed from C₁₈ polyunsaturated fatty acids in a sequential enzyme system involving lipoxygenase (which preferentially oxygenates at the 9-position) followed by a hydroperoxide cleavage system which is, however, specific for the 13-hydroperoxy isomers.     

A dual, concentration-dependent absorption mechanism of linoleic acid by rat jejunum in vitro.

Linoleic acid absorption was studied using everted rat jejunal sacs. At low concentrations (42-1260 microM), the relationship between linoleic acid concentration and its absorption rate fitted best to a rectangular hyperbola. At high concentrations (2.5-4.2 mM) the relationship between the two parameters was linear. The separate additions of 2,4-dinitrophenol, cyanide, or azide, or decrease in the incubation temperature from 37 to 20 degrees C did not change the absorption rate of linoleic acid. Absorption rate of linoleic acid at low concentrations increased as the hydrogen ion and taurocholate concentrations were increased or as the unstirred water layer thickness was decreased. Linoleic acid absorption rate was decreased after the additions of lecithin, oleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids or the substitution of taurocholate with the nonionic surfactant Pluronic F 68. These observations indicate that a concentration-dependent, dual mechanism of transport is operative in linoleic acid absorption. Facilitated diffusion is the predominant mechanism of absorption at low concentrations, while at high concentrations, simple diffusion is predominant. At low concentrations, the absorption rate of linoleic acid is influenced by the pH, surfactant type and concentration, the simultaneous presence of other polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the thickness of the unstirred water layer.     

Antifungal Activities of Four Fatty Acids against Plant Pathogenic Fungi

The effect of the fatty acids linolenic acid, linoleic acid, erucic acid and oleic acid on the growth of the plant pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, Pyrenophora avenae and Crinipellis perniciosa were examined in in vitro studies. Linolenic and linoleic acids exhibited activity against all of the fungi. However, whereas linolenic acid reduced mycelial growth of R. solani and C. perniciosa at 100 microM, the concentration had to be increased to 1000 microM before any effect on mycelial growth of P. ultimum and P. avenae was observed. Linoleic acid only reduced mycelial growth of R. solani, P. ultimum and P. avenae at 1000 microM, but led to a significant reduction in growth of C. perniciosa at 100 microM. In contrast, oleic acid had no significant effect on growth of R. solani or P. avenae, but gave significant reductions in mycelial growth of P. ultimum at 100 microM and reduced growth of C. perniciosa significantly at 1000 microM. All of the fatty acids reduced biomass production by all of the fungi significantly in liquid culture when added to the media at 100 microM. Erucic acid had no effect on fungal growth at any concentration examined. The antifungal activities exhibited by linolenic, linoleic and oleic acids may be useful in the search for alternative approaches to controlling important plant pathogens, such as those examined in this study.     

Unsaturated fatty acid isomers: effects on the circadian rhythm of a fatty-acid-deficient Neurospora crassa mutant

The fatty acids oleic, linoleic, and linolenic, each of which has a cis double bond at the delta 9 position, are known to lengthen the circadian period of conidiation (spore formation) of strains of Neurospora crassa carrying the cel mutation. cel confers a partial fatty acid requirement on the organism and has been used to promote incorporation of exogenous fatty acids. To test whether a physical effect imparted by the cis double bonds, such as increased membrane fluidity, is critical for the perturbation of the rhythm, various isomers of these fatty acids were supplemented to the bd csp cel strain. Positional isomers of oleic acid, such as petroselinic (delta 6) and vaccenic (delta 11) acids, and longer-chain isomers, such as eicosenoic (delta 11) and erucic (delta 13) acids, did not lengthen the rhythm. The shorter-chain palmitoleic (delta 9) acid did not give a consistent lengthening of the rhythm; it may be elongated to vaccenic acid. In contrast, gamma-linolenic acid (delta 6,9,12) dramatically lengthened the period. Linoelaidic acid (the trans,trans isomer of linoleic acid) lengthened the period at 22 degrees C, but elaidic acid (the trans isomer of oleic acid) did not. Elaidic acid was shown to exert a lengthening effect, but only at lower temperatures. The data do not support a direct physical action as the source of the fatty acids' "chronobiotic" ability.     

Biotransformation of linoleic acid by porcine leukocytes

Linoleic acid is an important essential fatty acids of leukocyte cell membrane phospholipids from some animals, e.g. from pigs and rabbits, and is a known substrate for lipoxygenase(s), especially in plant systems. Lipoxygenase activity has also been well documented in leukocytes using arachidonic acid as a substrate. These findings and our own interest in the fate of linoleic acid have prompted us to investigate the biotransformation of this essential fatty acids in leukocytes.Porcine leukocytes were isolated from whole blood by dextrane precipitation of the erythrocytes and by centrifugation. Broken cells were incubated with exogenous linoleic acid and four major biotransformation products, X₁, X₂, X₃ and X₄, were formed. Following isolation by silicagel column chromatography and thin layer chromatography, the products were derivatized and characterized by GC/MS. Derivatization included hydrogenation, methyl ester formation, n-butyl boronate formation and trimethylsilylation, and various types of derivatives were made in order to facilitate the structure elucidation. The major product X₁, which represented 60.5% of the total metabolites formed, was identified as 13-hydroxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid. Product X₂ (16.2%) was shown to be 11-hydroxy-12,13-epoxy-9-octadecenoic acid. Products X₃ and X₄ (respectively 5.2 and 7.5%) resulted in identical thermore, each of the products X₃ and X₄ was shown to be a mixture of two positional isomers, i.e. of 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid (70%) and 9,10,13-trihydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (30%). With regard to the structure elucidation of the latter isomers, the mixed hydrogenated, n-butylboronate, methyl ester, TMS-ether derivatives were shown to be of particular value for the determination of the vicinal diol position.The metabolism of linoleic acid in porcine leukocytes is analogous to that by cereal lipoxygenases. A major difference however is that porcine leukocyte lipoxygenase predominantly yields products, which arise through 13-lipoxygenation, whereas, in cereals, transformation products of 9-hydroperoxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid are formed to the same extent as metabolites of 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid.     

Biohydrogenation of C18 unsaturated fatty acids to stearic acid by a strain of Butyrivibrio hungatei from the bovine rumen

AIMS: To identify a ruminal isolate which transforms oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids to stearic acid and to identify transient intermediates formed during biohydrogenation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The stearic acid-forming bacterium, isolated from the rumen of a grazing cow, was a Gram-negative motile rod which utilized a range of growth substrates including starch and pectin but not cellulose or xylan. From its 16S rRNA gene sequence, the isolate was identified as a strain of Butyrivibrio hungatei. During conversion of linoleic acid, 9,11-conjugated linoleic acid formed as a transient intermediate before trans-vaccenic acid accumulated together with stearic acid. Unlike previously studied ruminal biohydrogenating bacteria, B. hungatei Su6 was able to convert alpha-linolenic acid to stearic acid. Linolenic acid was converted to stearic via conjugated linolenic acid, linoleic acid and trans-vaccenic acid as intermediates. Oleic acid and cis-vaccenic acid were converted to a series of trans monounsaturated isomers as well as stearic acid. An investigation of these isomers indicated that mixed trans positional isomers are intermediate in the biohydrogenation of cis monounsaturated fatty acids to stearic acid. CONCLUSION: This, the first rigorous identification and characterization of a ruminal bacterium which forms stearic acid, shows that B. hungatei plays an important role in unsaturated fatty acid transformations in the rumen. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Biohydrogenating bacteria which convert C18 unsaturated fatty acids to stearic acid have not been available for study for many years. Access to B. hungatei Su6 now provides a fresh opportunity for understanding biohydrogenation mechanisms and rumen processes which lead to saturated fat in ruminant products.     

The hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids by five bacterial isolates from the sheep rumen, including a new species.

Five strictly anaerobic bacteria able to hydrogenate unsaturated fatty acids were isolated from sheep rumen. One was characterized as Ruminococcus albus, two as Eubacterium spp. and two as Fusocillus spp., one of which is named as a new species. The Fusocillus organisms were able to hydrogenate oleic acid and linoleic acid to stearic acid, and linolenic acid to cis-octadec-15-enoic acid. The R. albus and the two Eubacteria did not hydrogenate oleic acid but converted linoleic and linolenic acids to a mixture of octadecenoic acids; trans-octadec-II-enoic acid predominated but several isomeric cis and trans octadecenoic acids were produced together with isomers of non-conjugated octadecadienoic acids. The intermediate and final products of hydrogenation by each organism were compatible with the results from mixed rumen bacteria.     

The effects of unsaturated fatty acids on hepatic microsomal drug metabolism and cytochrome P-450

1. The effects of unsaturated fatty acids on drug-metabolizing enzymes in vitro were measured by using rat and rabbit hepatic 9000g supernatant fractions. 2. Unsaturated fatty acids inhibited the hepatic microsomal metabolism of ;type I' drugs with inhibition increasing with unsaturation: arachidonic acid>linolenic acid>linoleic acid>oleic acid. Inhibition was independent of lipid peroxidation. Linoleic acid competitively inhibited the microsomal O-demethylation of p-nitroanisole and the N-demethylation of (+)-benzphetamine. 3. The hepatic microsomal metabolism of ;type II' substrates, aniline and (-)-amphetamine, was not affected by unsaturated fatty acids. 4. The rate of reduction of p-nitrobenzoic acid and Neoprontosil was accelerated by unsaturated fatty acids. 5. Linoleic acid up to 3.5mm did not decelerate the generation of NADPH by rat liver soluble fraction, nor the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase of rat liver microsomes. Hepatic microsomal NADPH oxidase activity was slightly enhanced by added linoleic acid. 6. No measurable disappearance of exogenously added linoleic acid occurred when this fatty acid was incubated with rat liver microsomes and an NADPH source. 7. The unsaturated fatty acids used in this study produced type I spectra when added to rat liver microsomes, and affected several microsomal enzyme activities in a manner characteristic of type I ligands.     

Linoleic and oleic acids alter the licking responses to sweet, salt, sour, and bitter tastants in rats

The free fatty acids (FFAs), linoleic and oleic acids, commonly found in dietary fats can be detected by rats on the basis of gustatory cues following conditioned taste aversion pairings. FFAs depolarize the membrane potential of isolated rat taste receptor cells by inhibiting delayed rectifying potassium channels. This study examined the licking response of rats to sweet, salt, sour, and bitter taste solutions when 88 muM linoleic acid, 88 muM oleic acid, or an 88 muM linoleic-oleic acid mixture was added to the solutions. The presence of linoleic, oleic, and the linoleic-oleic acid mixture in sweet solutions produced increases in the licking responses, whereas adding linoleic, oleic, and the linoleic-oleic acid mixture to salt, sour, or bitter taste solutions produced decreases in licking responses when compared with the licking responses to the solutions in the absence of the FFAs. We conclude that FFAs may act in the oral cavity to depolarize taste receptor cells and therefore to increase the perceived intensity of concomitant tastants, thus contributing to the enhanced palatability associated with foods containing high dietary fat.     

Formation of monohydroxy derivatives of arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid during oxidation of low density lipoprotein by copper ions and endothelial cells.

An important event in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions is the uptake of modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) by macrophages via scavenger receptors. Modification of LDL, which results in its recognition by these receptors, can be initiated by peroxidation of LDL lipids. The first step in this process is the formation of monohydroperoxy derivatives of fatty acids, which are subsequently degraded to the corresponding monohydroxy compounds, or to a variety of secondary oxidation products. In order to understand this process more completely, we have developed a mass spectrometric procedure to measure the amounts of specific hydroperoxy/hydroxy fatty acids formed by oxidation of the major unsaturated fatty acids in human LDL, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. Oxidation of human LDL in the presence of a relatively strong stimulus (20 microM CuSO4) resulted in very large increases in the amounts of the major monohydroxy derivatives of linoleic acid (9- and 13-hydroxy derivatives) and arachidonic acid (5-, 8-, 9-, 11-, 12-, and 15-hydroxy derivatives) in LDL lipids in the early stages of the reaction. After 20 h, the amounts of these products declined due to substrate depletion, but large amounts of monohydroxy derivatives of oleic acid (8-, 10-, and 11-hydroxy derivatives) were detected. Although thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances clearly increased under these conditions, the changes were not nearly so dramatic as those observed for monohydroxy fatty acids. Oxidation of LDL in the presence of endothelial cells, a much milder stimulus, resulted in 2.5- to 3-fold increases in the amounts of monohydroxy derivatives of linoleic and arachidonic acids, as well as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, with more modest increases in the amounts of hydroxylated derivatives of oleic acid. There was little positional specificity in the oxidation of the above fatty acids in the presence of either stimulus, suggesting that the formation of these products proceeds primarily by lipid peroxidation, rather than by catalysis by lipoxygenases. However, an important role for lipoxygenases in the initiation of these reactions cannot be excluded. In conclusion, oxidation of LDL in the presence of copper ions or endothelial cells results in the formation of a large number of monohydroxy derivatives of oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acids. The relative amounts of products formed from each of these fatty acids depends on the strength of the stimulus as well as the incubation time.     

The reactions of hypochlorous acid, the reactive oxygen species produced by myeloperoxidase, with lipids

Myeloperoxidase (MPO), an abundant enzyme in phagocytes, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis. The major oxidant produced by MPO, hypochlorous acid (HOCl), is able to modify a great variety of biomolecules by chlorination and/or oxidation. In this paper the reactions of lipids (preferentially unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol) with either reagent HOCl or HOCl generated by the MPO-hydrogen peroxide-chloride system are reviewed. One of the major issues has been whether the reaction of HOCl with lipids of low density lipoprotein (LDL) yields predominantly chlorohydrins or lipid hydroperoxides. Electrospray mass spectrometry provided direct evidence that chlorohydrins rather than peroxides are the major products of HOCl- or MPO-treated LDL phosphatidylcholines. Nevertheless lipid peroxidation is a possible alternative reaction of HOCl with polyunsaturated fatty acids if an additional radical source such as pre-formed lipid hydroperoxides is available. In phospholipids carrying a primary amino group such as phosphatidylethanolamine chloramines are the preferred products compared to chlorohydrins. Cholesterol can be converted by HOCl to great variety of oxysterols besides three isomers of chlorohydrins. For the situation in vivo it appears that the type of reaction occurring between HOCl and lipids would very much depend on the circumstances, e.g. the pH and the presence of radical initiators. The biological effects of lipid chlorohydrins are not yet well understood. It has been shown that chlorohydrins of both unsaturated fatty acids as well as of cholesterol may cause lysis of target cells, possibly by disruption of membrane structures.     

次氯酸与不饱和脂肪酸氧化机制和转化产物的理论研究

摘要 目的：揭示次氯酸与不饱和脂肪酸的氧化反应机制及转化产物。方法：运用Gaussian 16软件包,采用密度泛函方法M06-2X(D3),结合6-31+G(d)基组,在SMD液相水模型水平下进行计算。结果：次氯酸与单不饱和脂肪酸油酸的氧化反应是先形成氯鎓离子中间体,氯鎓离子再与水分子反应生成氯醇,第一步氯鎓离子的形成是控速步骤,其反应活化自由能~8 kcal/mol。环氧化合物和短链的醛是两种转化产物,前者由氯醇脱氯化氢而来,而后者由环氧化合物和氯醇通过系列与次氯酸根的反应而得到,生成它们的控速步骤的反应活化自由能分别为23 和24 kcal/mol。选取两个乙基为取代基的乙烯为油酸模型,其与次氯酸反应的活化自由能仅比油酸高1 kcal/mol。计算得到次氯酸与亚油酸、顺-9,反-11 亚油酸、梓树酸和花生四烯酸模型氧化反应生成氯醇的活化自由能分别是~10、13、16和14 kcal/mol。结论：氯鎓离子中间体机制是次氯酸与不饱和脂肪酸氧化反应的主要机制,反应的活化自由能通常低于15 kcal/mol,意味着此氧化反应动力学上容易发生。氧化产物氯醇能转化为环氧化合物和短链的醛,但活化自由能较高,约23和24 kcal/mol。选取距离双键3个碳以内的结构为不饱和脂肪酸模型,它能够很好地反映不饱和脂肪酸的反应活性。     

Non-enzymatic heme formation in the presence of fatty acids and thiol reductants

Non-enzymatic heme formation from equimolar amounts of porphyrin and iron was investigated. When mesoporphyrin IX and iron citrate were incubated with oleic acid and dithiothreitol at 37 degrees C in vacuo, mesoheme was formed in a high yield. When protoporphyrin IX and deuteroporphyrin IX were used, protoheme and deuteroheme were formed, respectively. Cysteine or 2-mercaptoethanol instead of dithiothreitol also resulted in the formation of heme. Linoleic acid was as effective as oleic acid, but at 37 degrees C, saturated fatty acids and phospholipids gave low yields. When incubation was at 70 degrees C saturated fatty acids as well as unsaturated fatty acids produced a large amount of heme. The optimum pH was 8.8. By increasing the concentration of Triton X-100 to 0.1%, heme formation decreased, and at concentrations above this level, completely disappeared. The conditions of non-enzymatic heme reaction presented here seem to be useful in elucidation of the mechanism of metalloporphyrin formation.     

Implications of modifying membrane fatty acid composition on membrane oxidation,integrity, and storage viability of freeze‐dried probiotic,Lactobacillus acidophilus La‐5

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of altering the fatty acid profile of the lipid membrane on storage survival of freeze‐dried probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus La‐5, as well as study the membrane integrity and lipid oxidation. The fatty acid composition of the lipid membrane of L. acidophilus La‐5 was significantly different upon growth in MRS (containing Tween 80, an oleic acid source), or in MRS with Tween 20 (containing C12:0 and C14:0), linoleic, or linolenic acid supplemented. Bacteria grown in MRS showed the highest storage survival rates. No indications of loss of membrane integrity could be found, and membrane integrity could therefore not be connected with loss of viability. Survival of bacteria grown with linoleic or linolenic acid was more negatively affected by the presence of oxygen, than bacteria grown in MRS or with Tween 20 supplemented. A small, but significant, loss of linolenic acid during storage could be identified, and an increase of volatile secondary oxidation products during storage was found for bacteria grown in MRS, or with linoleic, or linolenic acid supplemented, but not for bacteria grown with Tween 20. Overall, the results indicate that lipid oxidation and loss of membrane integrity are not the only or most important detrimental reactions which can occur during storage. By altering the fatty acid composition, it was also found that properties of oleic acid gave rise to more robust bacteria than more saturated or unsaturated fatty acids did. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:799–807, 2015     

Oral cavity discrimination of vapor-phase long-chain 18-carbon fatty acids

Linoleic, oleic, and stearic fatty acids, presented vapor-phase retronasally, were discriminable from blanks and each other, but the same concentrations, oral-cavity-only (OCO), were not discriminable from blanks. It remained possible that higher concentrations might be discriminable OCO. To evaluate this, participants attempted to discriminate undiluted linoleic, oleic, or stearic acids, vapor-phase OCO, from blanks. For each fatty acid, participants received 5 stimulus delivery containers (SDCs) in 2 trials; 4 SDC held blanks, the fifth, a fatty acid. As a "positive control" in 2 trials, participants received vapor-phase OCO peppermint extract and blanks. For all trials, the task was to select the 1 different SDC. It was found that the 1 different SDC was selected in 24% of stearic, 32% of linoleic, 47% of oleic acid, and in 92% of peppermint trials; discriminations (the 1 different SDC selected in both trials) occurred in 0%, 16%, 26%, and 84% of pairs, respectively. Correct selections for oleic acid differed from chance, P = 0.0004, but not for linoleic acid, P = 0.125, or stearic acid, P = 0.345, Bonferroni corrected. Vapor-phase oleic acid can be an oral cavity trigeminal stimulus, linoleic acid might be (uncorrected P = 0.0384), but vapor-phase stearic acid cannot be.     

Responses to oleic,linoleic and α-linolenic acids in high-carbohydrate,high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats

We investigated the changes in adiposity, cardiovascular and liver structure and function, and tissue fatty acid compositions in response to oleic acid-rich macadamia oil, linoleic acid-rich safflower oil and α-linolenic acid-rich flaxseed oil (C18 unsaturated fatty acids) in rats fed either a diet high in simple sugars and mainly saturated fats or a diet high in polysaccharides (cornstarch) and low in fat. The fatty acids induced lipid redistribution away from the abdomen, more pronounced with increasing unsaturation; only oleic acid increased whole-body adiposity. Oleic acid decreased plasma total cholesterol without changing triglycerides and nonesterified fatty acids, whereas linoleic and α-linolenic acids decreased plasma triglycerides and nonesterified fatty acids but not cholesterol. α-Linolenic acid improved left ventricular structure and function, diastolic stiffness and systolic blood pressure. Neither oleic nor linoleic acid changed the left ventricular remodeling induced by high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, but both induced dilation of the left ventricle and functional deterioration in low fat-diet-fed rats. α-Linolenic acid improved glucose tolerance, while oleic and linoleic acids increased basal plasma glucose concentrations. Oleic and α-linolenic acids, but not linoleic acid, normalized systolic blood pressure. Only oleic acid reduced plasma markers of liver damage. The C18 unsaturated fatty acids reduced trans fatty acids in the heart, liver and skeletal muscle with lowered stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 activity index; linoleic and α-linolenic acids increased accumulation of their C22 elongated products. These results demonstrate different physiological and biochemical responses to primary C18 unsaturated fatty acids in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome.     

Changes in linoleic acid during follicular development and inhibition of spontaneous breakdown of germinal vesicles in cumulus-free bovine oocytes.

The fatty-acid composition of follicular fluid from small and large developing follicles was analysed and the effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on spontaneous breakdown of germinal vesicles were investigated. Fatty acids were bound to bovine serum albumin and cultured with oocytes at 100 mumol/l. Linoleic acid (18:2) was the only fatty acid tested that significantly inhibited breakdown of germinal vesicles (P less than 0.01). The effect was dose-dependent and was greatest at 50 mumol fatty acid/l (% breakdown of control, 81.1 +/- 6.8 vs. 50 mumol linoleic acid/l, 35.4 +/- 7.3; P less than 0.02). Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid, constituting about a third of the total fatty acid in the follicular fluid; followed by 18.9 +/- 1.0% and 16.9 +/- 1.3% oleic acid (18:1) in small and large follicles, respectively. Saturated fatty acids accounted for less than 30% of the total fatty acid composition. There was a marked absence of tetraenoic acids in small and large follicles. Proportions of linoleic acid were significantly lower in follicular fluid from large follicles (31.1 +/- 1.2% of total fatty acid) than from small follicles (34.8 +/- 0.7% of total fatty acid) (P less than 0.05) and there was a significant inverse correlation between follicle diameter and percentage of linoleic acid in the follicular fluid (r = -0.6966; P less than 0.05). There was no significant alteration in any other fatty acid during follicular development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)