Age-dependent alterations of linoleic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids in renal cortex and medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats

The lipid content as well as the fatty acid pattern of triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were estimated in renal cortex and medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar rats (WR) at 4,8,26 and 52 weeks of age. In general, the level of triglycerides in renal medulla appeared higher when compared with the cortex. On the other hand, PC and PE, increasing with age, were usually higher in the cortex. A decreased percentage of linoleic acid (LA) in triglycerides, of arachidonic acid (AA) in PC and of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in triglycerides, FFA, PC and PE could be found in the kidneys of SHR at 8 weeks of age, i.e. during the development of hypertension. This was accompanied with a rise of AA in FFA of SHR at 8 weeks of age, which occurred with delay in WR (at 26 weeks of age). From the data presented it can be concluded that systematic alterations in the availability of individual polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in various renal lipids might be related to the onset of hypertension in SHR which should be elucidated in more detail.