Dietary supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids increases susceptibility of weanling rat tissue lipids to in vitro lipid peroxidation
1996
Suarez, A. | Faus, M.J. | Gil, A.
The intake of (n-3)long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, renal function, and physiology of retina and brain in human neonates. Several authors recently reported a correlation between tissue 20:4(n-6) status and neonatal growth. Incorporation of highly unsaturated fatty acids into tissue phospholipids may enhance peroxidation of cellular membranes. We fed weanling rats with a 10% fat diet that provided 18:1(n-9), 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) in a similar ratio to that of rat milk (group A), and with a diet supplemented with (n-3) LCPs (group B), or with (n-6) and (n-3) LCPs (group C), and studied the effects of diet on lipid peroxidation of erythrocyte membranes, liver microsomes and brain homogenates, and hepatic and cerebral activities of antioxidant enzymes. Alterations in tissue fatty acid composition were not paralleled by significant changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes or vitamin E content in liver microsomes. Total and reduced glutathione levels in liver homogenates were significantly higher in groups B and C compared with group A. Tissue lipids in groups B and C were more susceptible to induced peroxidation than in group A. Maximal formation of lipid peroxidation products was observed in erythrocyte membranes and liver microsomes in group C. These results may have implications on the optimal design of infant formulas based on (n-3) and (n-6) LCP supplementation.
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