Effect of dietary fats on linoleic acid metabolism. A radiolabel study in rats

Effects on the linoleic acid metabolism in vivo of three dietary fats, rich in either oleic acid, trans fatty acids or α-linolenic acid, and all with the same linoleic acid content, were investigated in male Wistar rats. After 6 weeks of feeding, the rats were intubated with [1- 14 C]linoleic acid and [ 3 H]oleic acid. The incorporation of these radiolabels into liver, heart and serum was investigated 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h after intubation. The amount of 14 C-labelled arachidonic acid incorporated into the liver phospholipid of the group fed the oleic acid-rich diet was significantly higher than that of the other groups. However, compared to the trans fatty acids-containing diet, the oleic acid-rich diet induced only a slightly higher arachidonic acid level in the phospholipid fraction of the tissues as determined by GLC. Dietary α-linolenic acid more than halved the arachidonic acid levels. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the Δ 6 -desaturase system actually determines the polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in tissue lipids by regulating the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g., arachidonic acid) synthesized. The biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids only is not sufficient to explain the complicated changes in fatty acid compositions as observed after feeding different dietary fats.