Fatty acid composition of different serum phospholipids in men and women

1. Eight young healthy persons, four men and four women, were maintained for a total of 2 months on a diet in which 40%, 16% and 44% of the total calories were present as fats, proteins and carbohydrates respectively. The ratio of complex to simple carbohydrates in the diet was 1:4. 2. The fatty acids of serum kephalins, lecithins, lysolecithins and sphingomyelins were determined by gas-liquid column chromatography. 3. Lysolecithins in both men and women had the highest content of saturated acids, followed by sphingomyelins, lecithins and kephalins in that order. The degrees of saturation and of polyunsaturation of the fatty acids in the different phospholipid fractions were significantly different, except for the differences in the polyunsaturation of the kephalins and lecithins. 4. No sex difference was found in the fatty acid composition of the different phospholipids.     

Fatty acid composition of lizard tissue lipids and the effects of estradiol on serum free fatty acids

Fatty acid analyses of lipids from lizard fat bodies, carcass, and blood serum were performed by GLC. Principal fatty acids from all three tissues were palmitate (16:0), stearate (18:0), oleate (18:1), and linoleate (18:2). Administration of estradiol to vitellogenic or non-vitellogenic lizards increased serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids, but had no effect on the fat body wet weights. Lizards receiving estradiol had a higher proportion of arachidonate and a lower proportion of oleate in their serum non-esterified fatty acids.     

Fatty acid composition of platelet phospholipids and plasma lipids in obese Zucker rats

The purpose of this work was to see whether hyperlipaemia observed in genetically obese Zucker rats (fa/fa) was associated with differences in fatty-acid composition of plasma triacylglycerols, plasma phospholipids and of platelet phospholipids, in comparison with the control lean rats (Fa/-). Results showed that plasma triacylglycerols and phospholipids were increased in obese rats. In triacylglycerols, the amount of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids was highly increased whereas the amount of the n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was little modified. In plasma phospholipids, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were also increased, as were the n-3 fatty acids (except C 18:3 n-3); the n-6 fatty acids were little increased except C 20:3 n-6 which was markedly increased. These results concerning the amounts of fatty acids have their counterpart in their relative proportions of fatty acids. Data thus obtained suggest that conversion of linoleic acid (C 18:2 n-6) into arachidonic acid (C 20:4 n-6) was decreased in obese rats, particularly the delta 5 desaturation step. On the contrary, conversion of linolenic acid (C 18:3 n-3) into higher polyenes seemed increased. Thrombocytosis was not modified in the obese rat, but the volume of the platelets was increased. Platelet phospholipids exhibited the same modifications as plasma phospholipids but with different magnitude. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were little augmented, n-3 fatty acids were more augmented (except C 18:3 n-3 acid which was unchanged); n-6 fatty acids were not modified except C 20:3 n-6 acid which was highly increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Fatty acid composition of total lipids and phospholipids of membrane preparations of transport ATPases

The fatty acid composition of total lipids and phospholipids of duck salt gland Na,K-ATPase (outer plasma membrane) and of rabbit skeletal muscle Ca-ATPase (intracellular membrane) was investigated. The bulk of Na,K-ATPase fatty acids is represented by palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1), stearic (18:0) and arachidonic (20:4) acids. The duck salt gland is characterized by rather a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, especially of arachidonic acid. The unsaturation index of total-lipid fatty acids increases during purification of these preparations in the following order: homogenate greater than microsomal fraction greater than purified enzyme. The fatty acid composition of Na,K-ATPase total lipids and phospholipids reveals certain differences. Phospholipids contain more stearic and liholeic (18:2) acids than total lipids, but the level of arachidonic acid in them is twice as low. Besides, phospholipids were found to contain polyunsaturated docosohexaenic (22:6) acid. The bulk of fatty acids of rabbit skeletal muscle Ca-ATPase total lipids and phospholipids is represented by 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 and 18:2 acids. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in this preparation is much lower than in duck salt gland Na,K-ATPase. The fatty acid composition of total lipids and phospholipids in rabbit skeletal muscle Ca-ATPase differ insignificantly. The differences in the fatty acid composition of membrane preparations under study is conditioned mainly by the fractional composition of their lipids.     

Fatty acid composition of serum lipids in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis and chronic active hepatitis.

The fatty acid pattern of blood serum lipids was examined by gas liquid-chromatography in 30 cases with bilharzial hepatic fibrosis, 11 cases with chronic active hepatitis accompanied by jaundice, and 28 healthy individuals as a comparison group of the same socioeconomic class of patients. In addition, the fatty acid patterns of the three major serum lipid classes, namely: cholesterol ester, phospholipids and triglycerides, were also investigated in seven cases of each group by gas liquid chromatography. The most remarkable differences were: a depression of the essential fatty acid level (linoleic and arachidonic) in both groups of patients together with a concomitant elevation of oleic acid in the bilharzial group and an elevation of oleic, palmitic, palmitoleic acids in the chronic active hepatitis group. The depression of linoleic and arachidonic acids was explained by the low fat diet intake, malnutrition, and the malabsorption factors which were frequent in all the patients studied. The elevation of monoethenoid acids was attributed to the decrease in the ability of the liver to desaturate the endogenous saturated and monounsaturated acids to polyunsaturated ones.     

Fatty acid composition of phospholipids and cholesteryl esters in maternal serum in the early puerperium

The fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids (PL) and cholesteryl esters (CE) in 26 healthy pregnant women at the end of term and 1 and 3 days after delivery was analysed in order to determine whether the maternal serum fatty acid composition changes in the early puerperium. The composition of the saturated fatty acids significantly changes in the PL fraction: 16:0 decreased and 18:0 increased. Both 20:4n-6 and 20:5 n-3 significantly increased after parturition in serum PL while 22:6n-3 remained constant at the three sampling time points. The sum of HUFA was slightly higher 3 days postpartum compared to the prepartum data. The essential fatty acid index significantly increased after delivery. In the CE fraction too differences occurred during puerperium: 18:2n-6 and 20:4n-6 increased and 18:1n-9 decreased after parturition. The sum of the n-3 fatty acids in CE remained unaltered. The EFA index significantly improved both in PL as in CE after delivery.In conclusion, the previously reported changes in the fatty acid composition of PL and CE during normal pregnancy diminish shortly after delivery. In fact, very soon after delivery the maternal fatty acid composition returns to more normal values.     

Fatty acid composition of fern spore lipids

Fatty acid composition of lipids isolated from spores of different fern groups show differences between the families whereas species variations within the families are smaller. As in seed fats, the spore lipids are mainly triglycerides, with the exception of Osmunda where free fatty acids accumulate. The spore lipids contain as major components oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acid although those of the sporophylls contain C-20 polyunsaturated acids.     

Fatty acid composition of mitochondrial phospholipids of the ischemic heart

Gas liquid chromatography was used to study fatty acid (FA) composition of lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) and phosphatidylcholine in isolated rabbit heart mitochondria. In control, lyso-PC and PC were found to contain 95 and 66% of unsaturated FA, respectively. At 1 hour of ischemia (autolysis at 37 degrees C) the percentage of saturated FA in lyso-PC noticeably increased whereas FA composition remained unchanged. It is concluded that changes in FA composition of lyso-PC are caused by phospholipase A2 action.     

The fatty acid composition of leech lipids

• 1.1. The constituent fatty acids of the neutral and phospholipids of Macrobdella ditetra, Nephelopsis obscura, Philobdella gracilis and Hirudo medicinalis have been determined.
• 2.2. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated in both neutral and phospholipid fractions of all leech species examined.
• 3.3. Arachidonic acid (20:4) was the most prevalent fatty acid in all species, accounting for as much as 36.7% of the total phospholipid fatty acids.

     

The fatty acid composition of fern lipids

Fatty acid compositions of the lipids isolated from the pinnae of four fern species show that they differ from those of the lipids in leaves of higher plants in having C-20 polyunsaturated acids, mainly arachidonic acid. As in higher plants, the ω-3 polyunsaturated acids are concentrated in the monogalactosyl diglycerides. Variations are found both in the fatty acid compositions and in the monogalactosyl/digalactosyl diglyceride ratio during the growing season.     

Fatty acid composition of phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol in serum of castrated and estradiol treated rats

We have studied the levels of phospholipids, triglycerides, cholesterol esters, and their fatty acid composition in serum for normal, castrated and estradiol treated rats. The sex hormones did not greatly affect the levels of the various lipid fractions which did not undergo great significant variations, under the different treatments. More evident variations occurred in the percent composition of fatty acid and in the content of the various saturated (SAT), unsaturated (UNSAT), essential (EFA) and non essential fatty acids (NEFA). We studied the most important ratios: EFA/NEFA; UNS/SAT; 16:0/16:1; 18:0/18:1, 18:2/18:3; 18:2/20:4. 16:0/16:1; 18:0/18:1 represent the delta9 desaturase, one specific for palmitic, the other for stearic acid. 18:2/18:3 ratio is an index of the delta6 desaturase activity: 18:2/20:4 ratio of delta5 desaturase-elongase. Most changes were evident in triglycerides. We observed a different behaviour of the UNS/SAT and EFA/NEFA ratios in phospholipids and cholesterol esters, which may reflect either an effect of the sex hormones on the exchange of fatty acids between the same lipid fractions, or a redistribution of lipids among different tissues. Great variations were observed of the ratios 16:0/16:1; 18:0/18:1; 18:2/18:3; 18:2/20:4, which are ascribed a different effect of the sex hormones of delta9, delta6, delta5 desaturases.     

Dietary lipids and forages interactions on cow and goat milk fatty acid composition and sensory properties

This review summarises the known effects of dietary factors on bovine and caprine milk fatty acid composition, as well as the regulation of cow and goat mammary lipid secretion. Special attention is given to fatty acids that could play a role for human health, such as saturated fatty acids, oleic acid, n-6- or n-3-C18 to C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids, trans isomers of C18:1 and C18:2, and isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The main dietary factors taken into account are the nature of forages, including pasture, the forage:concentrate ratio and diet starch content, and the supplementation of dairy rations with crude or processed vegetable oils or oilseeds, and vitamin E. A particular emphasis is given to studies on interactions between these dietary factors, which show that there is a considerable plasticity of ruminant milk fatty acid composition. Despite the existence of several studies on the effects of dietary factors on the sensorial quality of milk and dairy products, there is a need to evaluate more deeply how the different feeding strategies could change the nutritional, sensorial and technological aspects of milk fat quality.     

The fatty acid composition of the serum phospholipids of children with sickle cell disease in Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to determine the fatty acid composition of the serum phospholipids of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Nigeria and to compare the relative fluidity of the acyl chains of the serum phospholipids of controls versus the subjects with SCD. It is widely accepted that the fatty acid composition of an individual's serum phospholipids reflects that of their tissue phospholipids. An alteration in the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids could affect critical membrane-dependent enzymes and processes (e.g., ion and solute transport, hormone-receptor interactions, signal transduction pathways). We found a significant reduction in the content of polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids in the phospholipids of subjects with SCD which could result in a reduction of the fluidity of their tissue membranes. Specifically, there was a 40-50% reduction in the proportion of total n-3 fatty acids in subjects with SCD. On the basis of calculated melting points and double bond indices of the acyl chains of the serum phospholipids, the phospholipids of the children with SCD are less fluid relative to those of their healthy counterparts. In addition, we determined that linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and stearic acid were the major determinants of the fluidity of the acyl chains of the serum phospholipids of the healthy controls and children with SCD.     

Fatty acid composition of serum lipids of mothers and their babies after normal and hypertensive pregnancies

The biochemical essential fatty acid (EFA) status of neonates born after normal and hypertensive pregnancies (PIH) and that of their mothers was assessed by measuring the fatty acid composition of phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol esters (CE) of umbilical cord serum and maternal serum, respectively. Relative contents of linoleic acid of serum PL and CE were significantly lower in mothers with PIH compared to normal pregnancies. Most other (n-6) polyenes in PL tended to be higher under hypertensive conditions. Total maternal (n-3) polyenes of serum PL were significantly higher in PIH, mainly due to clupanodonic acid, 22:5 (n-3), and cervonic acid, 22:6 (n-3). Total maternal (n-7) and (n-9) fatty acids were also significantly higher in PIH (PL and CE). The results indicate that PIH is associated with a relative increased unsaturation of maternal serum PL, which might facilitate the placental transfer of long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids. As a result, the neonatal EFA status after PIH only slightly differs from normal.