Changes in fatty acid composition in rat blood and organs after infusion of docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester

Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;53(3):620-7. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/53.3.620.

Abstract

An infusible emulsion of docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester (DHA-EE) was prepared. One hundred milliliters of the emulsion contained 10 g DHA-EE (90% pure). Three milliliters of the emulsion was infused into tail veins of 22 Wistar rats weighing approximately 300 g. They were killed 1, 6, and 24 h and 3 and 7 d after the infusion, and fatty acid composition of various organs and plasma was analyzed along with that of control rats. DHA concentrations reached their peaks within 24 h after DHA infusion in plasma lipid fractions and in the phospholipid fraction of liver and lung. DHA did not increase at all in cardiac phospholipid fraction. However, DHA concentrations increased markedly (from 0.7% to 11%) in the free fatty acid fraction of heart 1 h after the infusion. DHA emulsion might be useful for patients in whom a rapid increment in DHA in tissues is beneficial.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Cholesterol / chemistry
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / administration & dosage*
  • Fatty Acids / blood
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / blood
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / chemistry
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Liver / chemistry
  • Lung / chemistry
  • Male
  • Myocardium / chemistry
  • Phospholipids / blood
  • Phospholipids / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Triglycerides / blood
  • Triglycerides / chemistry

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
  • Phospholipids
  • Triglycerides
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester
  • Cholesterol