Effect of dietary oils containing different amounts of precursor and derivative fatty acids on prostaglandin E2 synthesis in liver, kidney and lung of rats.

The availability of the fatty acids which are precursors of prostaglandins is affected by dietary intake. We have studied, in particular, the effects of dietary intake of lipids with different amounts of precursor and derivative fatty acids on the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in rat liver, kidney and lung. Fifteen-month-old rats were fed for 3 months diets containing different amounts of oleic, linoleic, alpha linolenic, gamma linolenic and stearidonic acids. The fatty acid compositions of total phospholipids and prostaglandin E2 levels of liver, kidney and lung were investigated. In the organs studied, the intake of lipids at different amount of precursor/derivative fatty acids caused variations in the fatty acid composition of phospholipids. PGE2 showed different values which did not seem directly affected by tissue availability of arachidonate but by the effect of dietary lipids on the metabolic pool of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).