Changes in the Fatty Acid Profile of Plasma and Adipose Tissue in Rats after Long‐Term Ethanol Feeding

The effect of chronic ethanol feeding on the fatty acid composition of plasma and abdominal adipose tissue in rats was studied. Animals were maintained on a 30% ethanol solution in drinking water for 3 and 5 months. Control rats were given water. Caloric intake was similar in control and ethanol-fed rats at the end of the experimental period. However, a decrease in body weight was observed in rats that had consumed ethanol. Palmitoleic (16 :1n7) and oleic (18 :1n9) acids increased markedly, and linoleic acid (18 :2n6) decreased in the plasma and in the adipose tissue of ethanol-fed rats with respect to control rats. After 3 months of ethanol ingestion, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids were reduced both in plasma and adipose tissue. When ethanol was administered for 5 months, only plasma long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series were decreased. This suggest that changes induced by ethanol ingestion in essential fatty acid metabolism is less pronounced when ethanol feeding is maintained for a long period of time.