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Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma, Erythrocytes and Adipose: Their Correlations and Effects of Age and Sex

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Lipids

Abstract

The composition of fatty acids in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and the correlation of fatty acid values of plasma and erythrocytes had not been reported in Japan. The aim of the present study was to investigate the fatty acid composition and correlation of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids (PL) and adipose triacylglycerols (TG) in 75 adult patients admitted for non-malignant diseases. We also examined the relationship of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) with patients’ characteristics. The total n-3 PUFA were 11.2, 11.8 and 1.9%, and the ratios of n-6/n-3 were 2.41, 1.87 and 8.20 in plasma and erythrocyte PL and adipose TG, respectively. There were the highest correlations for total n-3 PUFA and the n-6/n-3 ratio between plasma and erythrocyte PL and adipose TG. There was a positive correlation between n-3 PUFAs and age, but a negative correlation was found between n-6 PUFAs and age. There was no significant difference in the values of PUFAs in plasma and erythrocyte PL and adipose TG between men and women. The patients with cholesterol cholecystolithiasis showed a significantly lower proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma and erythrocyte PL than those of the other patients. Our findings suggest that PUFA in plasma and erythrocyte PL may be good biomarkers and more acceptable for studying participants than adipose TG.

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Abbreviations

ARA:

Arachidonic acid

BMI:

Body mass index

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

LA:

Linoleic acid

PL:

Phospholipid

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid

TG:

Triacylglycerol

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Acknowledgments

We thank all the participants in this study and the staff at the Hematological Examination Section, Central Laboratory for Clinical Investigation, Kansai Medical University Hospital for expert laboratory assistance. We are grateful to Ms. Hiroko Hamatani (University of Toyama) and Ms. Shizuko Takebe (University of Toyama) for their technical assistance in fatty acid analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgery, Takii Hospital of Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8507, Japan

    Tokuhiro Ogura, Hideho Takada, Masashi Okuno, Hiroaki Kitade & Takashi Matsuura

  2. Department of Surgery, Hirakata Hospital of Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1192, Japan

    Masanori Kwon

  3. Department of Biostatics, Kansai Medical University, 18-89 Uyamahigashi, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1136, Japan

    Seizaburo Arita

  4. Division of Clinical Application, Department of Clinical Science, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Japan

    Kei Hamazaki, Miho Itomura & Tomohito Hamazaki

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  1. Tokuhiro Ogura
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Correspondence to Hideho Takada.

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Ogura, T., Takada, H., Okuno, M. et al. Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma, Erythrocytes and Adipose: Their Correlations and Effects of Age and Sex. Lipids 45, 137–144 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3386-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3386-3

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