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Effect of altered dietary n-3 fatty acid intake upon plasma lipid fatty acid composition, conversion of [13C]α-linolenic acid to longer-chain fatty acids and partitioning towards β-oxidation in older men

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Graham C. Burdge ,
Yvonne E. Finnegan ,
Anne M. Minihane ,
Christine M. Williams  and
Stephen A. Wootton
Graham C. Burdge*
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, UK
Yvonne E. Finnegan
Affiliation:
Hugh Sinclair Human Nutrition Unit, University of Reading, UK
Anne M. Minihane
Affiliation:
Hugh Sinclair Human Nutrition Unit, University of Reading, UK
Christine M. Williams
Affiliation:
Hugh Sinclair Human Nutrition Unit, University of Reading, UK
Stephen A. Wootton
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Graham C. Burdge, fax +44 23 804945, email g.c.burdge@soton.ac.uk
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Abstract

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The effect of increased dietary intakes of α-linolenic acid (ALNA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 2 months upon plasma lipid composition and capacity for conversion of ALNA to longer-chain metabolites was investigated in healthy men (52 (SD 12) years). After a 4-week baseline period when the subjects substituted a control spread, a test meal containing [U-13C]ALNA (700 mg) was consumed to measure conversion to EPA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and DHA over 48 h. Subjects were then randomised to one of three groups for 8 weeks before repeating the tracer study: (1) continued on same intake (control, n 5); (2) increased ALNA intake (10 g/d, n 4); (3) increased EPA+DHA intake (1·5 g/d, n 5). At baseline, apparent fractional conversion of labelled ALNA was: EPA 2·80, DPA 1·20 and DHA 0·04 %. After 8 weeks on the control diet, plasma lipid composition and [13C]ALNA conversion remained unchanged compared with baseline. The high-ALNA diet resulted in raised plasma triacylglycerol-EPA and -DPA concentrations and phosphatidylcholine-EPA concentration, whilst [13C]ALNA conversion was similar to baseline. The high-(EPA+DHA) diet raised plasma phosphatidylcholine-EPA and -DHA concentrations, decreased [13C]ALNA conversion to EPA (2-fold) and DPA (4-fold), whilst [13C]ALNA conversion to DHA was unchanged. The dietary interventions did not alter partitioning of ALNA towards β-oxidation. The present results indicate ALNA conversion was down-regulated by increased product (EPA+DHA) availability, but was not up-regulated by increased substrate (ALNA) consumption. This suggests regulation of ALNA conversion may limit the influence of variations in dietary n-3 fatty acid intake on plasma lipid compositions.

Keywords

α-Linolenic acidStable isotopeDietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acidsMan
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 90 , Issue 2 , August 2003 , pp. 311 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2003

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