Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T20:55:19.824Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Incorporation and washout of orally administered n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters in different plasma lipid fractions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Sonja D. Zuijdgeest-van Leeuwen ,
Pieter C. Dagnelie ,
Trinet Rietveld ,
J.Willem O. van den Berg  and
J. H. Paul Wilson
Sonja D. Zuijdgeest-van Leeuwen
Affiliation:
Institute of Internal Medicine II, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Pieter C. Dagnelie*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Trinet Rietveld
Affiliation:
Institute of Internal Medicine II, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
J.Willem O. van den Berg
Affiliation:
Institute of Internal Medicine II, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
J. H. Paul Wilson
Affiliation:
Institute of Internal Medicine II, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Pieter Dagnelie, fax +31 43 361 8685, email Dagnelie@epid.unimaas.nl
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The aim of the present study was to quantify the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) into plasma lipids after oral administration of n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters, since little is known about the rate and pattern of incorporation into plasma lipid fractions. In addition, we aimed to obtain preliminary information regarding EPA half-life, which is needed to establish an optimal dosing schedule. Five healthy volunteers ingested two 8·5 g doses of n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters daily for 7 d, supplying 6·0 g EPA/d and 5·3 g DHA/d. The fatty acid compositions of plasma phospholipids (PL), cholesteryl esters (CE) and triacylglycerols (TAG) were determined during supplementation and during a washout period of 7 d. Half-lives of EPA and DHA were calculated. The proportion of EPA in PL showed a 15-fold increase after 7 d (P < 0·001), while DHA showed a smaller increase (P < 0·01). In CE, EPA also increased (P < 0·05), while DHA did not increase at all. Remarkably, incorporation of DHA into TAG was even higher than that of EPA. Half-life of EPA in PL ranged from 1·63 to 2·31 d (mean 1·97 (se 0·15) d), whereas mean half-life of EPA in CE was 3·27 (se 0·56) d. In three subjects, washout of EPA and DHA from TAG seemed to follow a bi-exponential pattern, with a short half-life (< 1 d) in the initial phase and a half-life of several days in the second phase. In conclusion, EPA ethyl esters are rapidly incorporated into plasma lipids, especially into PL. The relatively long half-life of EPA in plasma would permit a dosing schedule with intervals of ≥12 h in supplementation studies.

Keywords

Plasma lipidsn-3 Fatty acidsEthyl esters
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 82 , Issue 6 , December 1999 , pp. 481 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

References

Beckermann, B, Beneke, M & Seitz, I (1990) Vergleich der Bioverfugbarkeit von Eicosapentaensaure und Docosahexaensaure aus Triglyceriden, freien Fettsauren und Ethylestern bei Probanden (Comparative bioavailability of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from triacylglycerols, free fatty acids and ethyl esters in volunteers). Arzneimittelforschung 40, 700–704.Google ScholarPubMed
Blonk, MC, Bilo, HJ, Nauta, JJ, Popp-Snijders, C, Mulder, C & Donker, AJ (1990) Dose-response effects of fish-oil supplementation in healthy volunteers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52, 120–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brossard, N, Croset, M, Pachiaudi, C, Riou, JP, Tayot, JL & Lagarde, M (1996) Retroconversion and metabolism of [13C]22 : 6n-3 in humans and rats after intake of a single dose of [13C]22 : 6n-3-triacylglycerols. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64, 577–586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Drevon, CA (1992) Marine oils and their effects. Nutrition Reviews 50, 38–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
el Boustani, S, Colette, C, Monnier, L, Descomps, B, Crastes de Paulet, A & Mendy, F (1987) Enteral absorption in man of eicosapentaenoic acid in different chemical forms. Lipids 22, 711–714.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folch, J, Lees, M & Stanley, GHS (1956) A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. Journal of Biological Chemistry 226, 497–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibney, MJ & Daly, E (1994) The incorporation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into plasma lipid and lipoprotein fractions in the postprandial phase in healthy volunteers. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48, 866–872.Google ScholarPubMed
Hansen, JB, Olsen, JO, Wilsgard, L, Lyngmo, V & Svensson, B (1993) Comparative effects of prolonged intake of highly purified fish oils as ethyl ester or triglyceride on lipids, haemostasis and platelet function in normolipaemic men. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 47, 497–507.Google ScholarPubMed
Hodge, J, Sanders, K & Sinclair, AJ (1993) Differential utilization of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in human plasma. Lipids 28, 525–531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kasim-Karakas, SE (1995) Impact of n-3 fatty acids on lipoprotein metabolism. Current Opinion in Lipidology 6, 167–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krokan, HE, Bjerve, KS & Mork, E (1993) The enteral bioavailability of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is as good from ethyl esters as from glyceryl esters in spite of lower hydrolytic rates by pancreatic lipase in vitro. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1168, 59–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawson, LD & Hughes, BG (1988) Human absorption of fish oil fatty acids as triacylglycerols, free acids, or ethyl esters. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 152, 328–335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leaf, DA, Connor, WE, Barstad, L & Sexton, G (1995) Incorporation of dietary n-3 fatty acids into the fatty acids of human adipose tissue and plasma lipid classes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 68–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lillington, JM, Trafford, DJ & Makin, HL (1981) A rapid and simple method for the esterification of fatty acids and steroid carboxylic acids prior to gas-liquid chromatography. Clinica Chimica Acta 111, 91–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marangoni, F, Angeli, MT, Colli, S, Eligini, S, Tremoli, E, Sirtori, CR & Galli, C (1993) Changes of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in plasma and circulating cells of normal subjects, after prolonged administration of 20 : 5 (EPA) and 22 : 6 (DHA) ethyl esters and prolonged washout. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1210, 55–62.Google Scholar
Marsen, TA, Pollok, M, Oette, K & Baldamus, CA (1992) Pharmacokinetics of omega-3-fatty acids during ingestion of fish oil preparations. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 46, 191–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nordoy, A, Barstad, L, Connor, WE & Hatcher, L (1991) Absorption of the n-3 eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids as ethyl esters and triglycerides by humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 1185–1190.Google Scholar
Powell, MJD (1970) A FORTRAN subroutine for solving system of nonlinear algebraic equations. In Numerical Methods for Nonlinear Algebraic Equations, pp. 115–161 [Robinowitz, P, editor]. New York, NY: Gordon & Breach Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Prisco, D, Filippini, M, Francalanci, I, Paniccia, R, Gensini, GF, Abbate, K & Neri Serneri, GG (1996) Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on phospholipid fatty acid composition in plasma and erythrocytes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63, 925–932.Google Scholar
Reis, GJ, Silverman, DI, Boucher, TM, Sipperly, ME, Horowitz, GL, Sacks, FM & Pasternak, RC (1990) Effects of two types of fish oil supplements on serum lipids and plasma phospholipid fatty acids in coronary artery disease. American Journal of Cardiology 66, 1171–1175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sadou, H, Leger, CL, Descomps, B, Barjon, JN, Monnier, L & Crastes de Paulet, A (1995) Differential incorporation of fish-oil eicosapentaenoate and docosahexaenoate into lipids of lipoprotein fractions as related to their glyceryl esterification: a short-term (postprandial) and long-term study in health. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 1193–1200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simopoulos, AP (1991) Omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease and in growth and development. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 438–463.Google Scholar
Subbaiah, PV, Kaufman, D & Bagdade, JD (1993) Incorporation of dietary n-3 fatty acids into molecular species of phosphatidyl choline and cholesteryl ester in normal human plasma. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58, 360–368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
von Schacky, C, Fischer, S & Weber, PC (1985) Long-term effects of dietary marine omega-3 fatty acids upon plasma and cellular lipids, platelet function, and eicosanoid formation in humans. Journal of Clinical Investigation 76, 1626–1631.Google Scholar