The low levels of eicosapentaenoic acid in rat brain phospholipids are maintained via multiple redundant mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Brain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels are 250- to 300-fold lower than docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), at least partly, because EPA is rapidly β-oxidized and lost from brain phospholipids. Therefore, we examined if β-oxidation was necessary for maintaining low EPA levels by inhibiting β-oxidation with methyl palmoxirate (MEP). Furthermore, because other metabolic differences between DHA and EPA may also contribute to their vastly different levels, this study aimed to quantify the incorporation and turnover of DHA and EPA into brain phospholipids. Fifteen-week-old rats were subjected to vehicle or MEP prior to a 5 min intravenous infusion of (14)C-palmitate, (14)C-DHA, or (14)C-EPA. MEP reduced the radioactivity of brain aqueous fractions for (14)C-palmitate-, (14)C-EPA-, and (14)C-DHA-infuse

SUBMITTER: Chen CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3735939 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature