Abstract
An injectable emulsion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was prepared. One hundred ml of the emulsion contained 3 g of 93%-pure 1,2,3-tridocosahexaenoylglycerol (DHA-TG), 1.2 g of 93%-pure 2-docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidylcholine as an emulsifier and 2.5 g of glycerol. Thirty ml of the emulsion of DHA-TG was injected into three rabbits on days 1 and 4 of the study. Blood was taken on day 0, on day 4 just before the second injection and on day 7. The percentage of DHA in the total phospholipid fraction of platelets increased from 0.46% (day 0) to 1.88% (day 4, p<0.05) and 3.66% (day 7; p<0.02 vs day 0). The percentage of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) increased from 0.46% (day 0) to 1.03% (day 4, p<0.02) and 1.63% (day 7: p<0.05 vs day 0). The percentage of arachidonic acid (AA) decreased from 9.45% (day 0) to 4.31% (day 4, p<0.05) and 6.68% (day 7; p<0.02 vs day 0). The percentage of DHA in the total phospholipid fraction of erythrocyte membranes increased from 0.23% (day 0) to 0.91% (day 4, p<0.05) and 1.52% (day 7; p<0.005 vs day 0); that of EPA increased from 0.21% (day 0) to 0.34% (day 4, p<0.005%) and 0.52% (day 7, p<0.01 vs day 0); that of AA was unchanged. Blood lipids were the same before and after the two injections of the emulsion, except that free fatty acids decreased markedly from 0.32 to 0.06 mEq/1 (p<0.02). On day 8, free AA (2 mg/kg) was injected into ear veins of the three treated rabbits and of four control rabbits (not treated with DHA-TG). All the control rabbits died a few minutes after the AA injection, but none of the DHA-treated rabbits died after AA injection (p<0.01). An emulsion of DHA-TG may be useful for patients having immediate risk of thrombosis or for those who need DHA but cannot take it orally.
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Abbreviations
- DHA:
-
docosahexaenoic acid
- DHA-TG:
-
1,2,3-tridocosahexaenoyl-glycerol
- AA:
-
arachidonic acid
- DHA-PC:
-
2-docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidylcholine
- PRP:
-
platelet-rich plasma
- EPA:
-
eicosapentaenoic acid
- RBC:
-
red blood cell
- EPA-TG:
-
1,2,3-trieicosapentaenoyl-glycerol
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Hamazaki, T., Urakaze, M., Yano, S. et al. Injection of tridocosahexaenoyl-glycerol emulsion and fatty acid composition of blood cells. Lipids 22, 1031–1034 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536445
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536445