Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dietary α-linolenic acid lowers postprandial lipid levels with increase of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid contents in rat hepatic membrane

  • Articles
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effects of dietary n−3 and n−6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on postprandial lipid levels and fatty acid composition of hepatic membranes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained for a 3−h feeding protocol and fed one of five semipurified diets: one fat-free diet or one of four diets supplemented with 10% (by weight) each of corn oil, beef tallow, perilla oil, and fish oil. Two separate experiments were performed, 4-wk long-term and 4-d short-term feeding models, to compare the effects of feeding periods. Postprandial plasma lipid was affected by dietary fats. Triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol levels were decreased in rats fed perilla oil and fish oil diets compared with corn oil and beef tallow diets. Hepatic TG and total cholesterol levels were also reduced by fish oil and perilla oil diets. Fatty acid composition of hepatic microsomal fraction reflected dietary fatty acids and their metabolic conversion. The major fatty acids of rats fed the beef tallow diet were palmitic, stearic, and oleic. Similarly, linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid in the corn oil group, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the perilla oil group, and palmitic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the fish oil group were detected in high proportions. Both long- and short-term feeding experiments showed similar results. In addition, microsomal DHA content was negatively correlated with plasma lipid levels. Hepatic lipid levels were also negatively correlated with EPA and DHA contents. These results suggest that n−3 ALA has more of a hypolipidemic effect than n−6 LA and that the hypolipidemic effect of n−3 PUFA may be partly related to the increase of EPA and DHA in hepatic membrane.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AA:

arachidonic acid

ALA:

α-linolenic acid

BT:

beef tallow

CO:

corn oil

DHA:

docosahexaenoic acid

EPA:

eicosapentaenoic acid

FF:

fat free

FO:

fish oil

HDL-C:

high density lipoprotein-cholesterol

LA:

linoleic acid

PO:

perilla oil

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

TC:

total cholesterol

TG:

triacylglycerol

References

  1. Jeppesen, J., Hein, H.O., Suadicani, P., and Gyntelberg, F. (1998) Triglyceride Concentration and Ischemic Heart Disease. An Eight-Year Follow-Up in the Copenhagen Male Study, Circulation 97, 1029–1036.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Stamler, J., Wentworth, D., and Neaton, J.D. (1986) Is Relationship Between Serum Cholesterol and Risk of Premature Death from Coronary Heart Disease Continuous and Graded? J. Am. Med. Assoc. 256, 2823–2828.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kestin, M., Clifton, P., Bellin, G.B., and Nestel, P.J. (1990) n−3 Fatty Acids of Marine Origin Lower Systolic Blood Pressure and Triglycerides but Raise LDL-Cholesterol Compared with n−3 and n−6 Fatty Acids from Plants, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 51, 1028–1034.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Groot, P.H., van Stiphout, W.A., Krauss, X.H., Jansen, H., van Tol, A., van Ramshorst, E., Chin-On, S., Hofman, A., Cresswell, S.R., and Havekes, L. (1991) Postprandial Lipoprotein Metabolism in Normolipidemic Men With and Without Coronary Artery Disease, Arterioscler. Thromb. 11, 653–662.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Uiterwaal, C.S., Grobbee, D.E., Witteman, J.C., van Stiphout, W.A., Krauss, X.H., Havekes, L.M., de Bruijn, A.M., van Tol, A., and Hofman, A. (1994) Postprandial Triglyceride Response in Young Adult Men and Familial Risk for Coronary Atherosclerosis, Ann. Intern. Med. 121, 576–583.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Zilversmit, D.B. (1995) Atherogenic Nature of Triglycerides, Postprandial Lipidemia, and Triglyceride-Rich Remnant Lipoproteins, Clin. Chem. 41, 153–158.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Harris, W.S. (1993) Fish Oil Reduces Postprandial Triglyceride Concentrations Without Accelerating Lipid-Emulsion Removal Rates, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 58, 68–74.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Harris, W.S., Connor, W.E., Alam, N., and Illingworth, D.R. (1988) Reduction of Postprandial Triglyceridemia in Humans by Dietary n−3 Fatty Acids, J. Lipid Res. 29, 1451–1460.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Weintraub, M.S., Zechner, R., Brown, A., Elsenberg, S., and Breslow, J.L. (1988) Dietary Polyunsaturated Fats of the ω-6 and ω-3 Series Reduce Postprandial Lipoprotein Levels, J. Clin. Invest. 82, 1884–1893.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Williams, C.M., Moore, F., Morgan, L., and Wright, J. (1992) Effects of n−3 Fatty Acids on Postprandial Triacylglycerol and Hormone Concentrations in Normal Subjects, Br. J. Nutr. 68, 655–666.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Stubbs, C.D., and Smith, A.D. (1984) The Modification of Mammalian Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition in Relation to Membrane Fluidity and Function, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 779, 89–137.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Strum-Odin, R., Adkins-Finke, B., Blake, W.L., Phinney, S.D., and Clarke, S.D. (1987) Modification of Fatty Acid Composition of Membrane Phospholipid in Hepatocyte Monolayer with n−3, n−6 and n−9 Fatty Acids and Its Relationship to Triglycerol Production, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 921, 378–391.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Huang, Y.S., and Nassar, B.A. (1990) Modulation of Tissue Fatty Acid Composition, Prostaglandin Production and Cholesterol Levels by Dietary Manipulation of n−3 and n−6 Essential Fatty Acid Metabolites, in Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids, Pathophysiology and Roles in Clinical Medicines (Horrobin, D.F., ed.), pp. 127–144, Alan R. Liss Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Witting, L.A. (1974) Vitamin E-Polyunsaturated Lipid Relationship in Diet and Tissues, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 27, 952–959.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G.H. (1957) A Simple Method for the Isolation and Purification of Total Lipids from Animal Tissue, J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lepage, G., and Roy, C.C. (1986) Direct Transesterification of All Classes of Lipids in a One-Step Reaction, J. Lipid Res. 27, 114–120.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Agren, J.J., Hanninen, O., Julkunen, A., Figelholm, L., Vidgren, H., Schwab, U., Pynnonen, O., and Uusitupa, M. (1996) Fish Diet, Fish Oil and Docosahexaenoic Acid Rich Oil Lower Fasting and Postprandial Plasma Lipid Levels, Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 50, 765–771.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sanders, T.A., Oakley, F.R., Miller, G.J., Mitropoulos, K.A., Crook, D., and Oliver, M.F. (1997) Influence of n−6 versus n−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Diets Low in Saturated Fatty Acids on Plasma Lipoproteins and Hemostatic Factors, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17, 3449–3460.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Tinker, L.F., Parks, E.J., Behr, S.R., Schneeman, B.O., and Davis, P.A. (1999) (n−3) Fatty Acid Supplementation in Moderately Hypertriglyceridemic Adults Changes Postprandial Lipid and Apolipoprotein B Responses to a Standardized Test Meal, J. Nutr. 129, 1126–1134.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Parks, J.S., and Rudel, L.L. (1990) Effect of Fish Oil on Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Metabolism, Atherosclerosis 84, 83–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ihara, M., Umekawa, H., Takahashi, T., and Furuichi, Y. (1998) Comparative Effects of Short-and Long-Term Feeding of Safflower Oil and Perilla Oil on Lipid Metabolism in Rats, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 121, 223–231.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Sanz, M., Lopez-Bote, C.J., Menoyo, D., and Bautista, J.M. (2000) Abdominal Fat Deposition and Fatty Acid Synthesis Are Lower and β-Oxidation Is Higher in Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Unsaturated Rather Than Saturated Fat, J. Nutr. 130, 3034–3037.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Fumeron, F., Brigant, L., Parra, H.J., Bard, J.M., Fruchart, J.C., and Apfelbaum, M. (1991) Lowering of HDL2-Cholesterol and Lipoprotein A-1 Particle Levels by Increasing the Ratio of Polyunsaturated to Saturated Fatty Acids, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53, 655–659.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Woolet, L. A., Spady, D.K., and Dietschy, J.M. (1992) Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty Acids Independently Regulate Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Activity and Production Rate, J. Lipid Res. 33, 77–88.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Benhizia, F., Hainault, I., Serougne, C., Lagrange, D., Hajduch, E., Guichard, C., Malewial, M., Boulange, A.Q., Lavau, M., and Griglio, S. (1994) Effects of Fish Oil-Lard Diet on Rat Plasma Lipoproteins, Liver FAS, and Lipolytic Enzymes, Am. J. Physiol. 267, E975-E982.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Avers, C.J. (1986) Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi Apparatus, in Molecular Cell Biology, pp. 227–266, Addison Wesley, Reading.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Bernasconi, A.M., Garda, H.A., and Brenner, R.R. (2000) Dietary Cholesterol Induces Changes in Molecular Species of Hepatic Microsomal Phosphatidylcholine, Lipids 35, 1335–1344.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Mahfouz, M.M., Smith, T.L., and Kummerow, F.A. (1984) Effect of Dietary Fats on Desaturase Activities and the Biosynthesis of Fatty Acids in Rat-Liver Microsomes, Lipids 19, 214–222.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hwang, D.H., Boudreau, M., and Chanmugam, P. (1988) Dietary Linolenic Acid and Longer-Chain n−3 Fatty Acid: Comparison of Effects on Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Rats, J. Nutr. 118, 427–437.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Weber, P. (1999) Triglyceride-Lowering Effect of n−3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid: Eicosapentaenoic Acid vs. Docosahexaenoic Acid, Lipids 34, S269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Clandinin, M.T., Cheema, S., Field, C.J., Garg, M.L., Venkatraman, J., and Clandinin, T.R. (1991) Dietary Fat: Exogenous Determination of Membrane Structure and Cell Function, FASEB J., 5, 2761–2769.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Yang, E.K., Radominska, A., Winder, B.S., and Dannenberg, A.J. (1993) Dietary Lipids Coinduce Xenobiotic Metabolizing Enzymes in Rat Liver, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1168, 52–58.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, 151-742, Seoul, Korea

    Hye-Kyeong Kim & Haymie Choi

Authors
  1. Hye-Kyeong Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haymie Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haymie Choi.

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, HK., Choi, H. Dietary α-linolenic acid lowers postprandial lipid levels with increase of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid contents in rat hepatic membrane. Lipids 36, 1331–1336 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0849-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0849-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation