[Fatty-acid pattern of human fat and liver tissues in alcoholics and non-alcoholics: fatty-acid pattern as a measure of alcoholism (author's transl)]

Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1975 May 30;100(22):1233-8. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1106362.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Samples from the right lobe of the liver and from fat tissue of the abdominal wall were removed shortly after death from 116 persons. Fatty-acid pattern of both tissues (lauric, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic acids) was measured and compared with the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver. The data were also correlated with chronic excess alcohol consumption in the pre-terminal phase. It was found that with increasing fatty inflitration there was a rise in the relative proportion of palmitoleic acid in liver and subcutaneous fat tissues, with a fall in the relative proportion of stearic acid in the latter. Comparison of results in alcoholics (19 subjects) and non-alcoholics (91) showed the expected higher fatty infiltration of the liver in the former (x equal 13.4% and 5.6%, respectively). Both in liver and subcutaneous fat tissues the relative proportion of palmitoleic acid was significantly higher in alcoholics. But while in these the proportion of palmitoleic acid in the liver was higher than in subcutaneous tissue, the relationship was the converse among the non-alcoholics.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Muscles
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Alcoholism / metabolism*
  • Autopsy
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Fatty Liver / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linoleic Acids / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oleic Acids / metabolism
  • Palmitic Acids / metabolism
  • Sex Factors
  • Stearic Acids / metabolism

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Linoleic Acids
  • Oleic Acids
  • Palmitic Acids
  • Stearic Acids