An Oil Rich in γ-Linolenic Acid Differently Affects Hepatic Fatty Acid Oxidation in Mice and Rats.

The effects of different dietary fats on hepatic fatty acid oxidation were compared in male ICR mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were fed diets containing 100 g/kg of either palm oil (saturated fat), safflower oil (rich in linoleic acid), an oil of evening primrose origin (γ-linolenic acid, GLA oil), perilla oil (α-linolenic acid) or fish oil (eicosapentaenoic and doxosahexaenoic acids) for 21 d. GLA, perilla and fish oils, compared with palm and safflower oils, increased the activity of fatty acid oxidation enzymes in both mice and rats, with some exceptions. In mice, GLA and fish oils greatly increased the peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA oxidation rate, and the activity of acyl-CoA oxidase and enoyl-CoA hydratase to the same degree. The effects were much smaller with perilla oil. In rats, enhancing effects were more notable with fish oil than with GLA and perilla oils, excluding the activity of enoyl-CoA hydratase, and were comparable between GLA and perilla oils. In mice, strong enhancing effects of GLA oil, which were greater than with perilla oil and comparable to those of fish oil, were confirmed on mRNA levels of peroxisomal but not mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation enzymes. In rats, the effects of GLA and perilla oils on mRNA levels of peroxisomal and mitochondrial enzymes were indistinguishable, and lower than those observed with fish oil. Therefore, considerable diversity in the response to dietary polyunsaturated fats, especially the oil rich in γ-linolenic acid and fish oil, of hepatic fatty acid oxidation pathway exists between mice and rats.

Physiological effects of an oil rich in γ-linolenic acid on hepatic fatty acid oxidation and serum lipid levels in genetically hyperlipidemic mice.

We investigated the physiological activity of an oil rich in γ-linolenic acid of evening primrose origin (containing 42.6% γ-linolenic acid) affecting hepatic fatty acid metabolism, and serum lipid levels in genetically hyperlipidemic mice deficient in apolipoprotein E expression. Male apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (BALB/c.KOR/StmSlc-Apoe shl ) were fed experimental diets containing 100 g/kg of palm oil (saturated fat), safflower oil (rich in linoleic acid), γ-linolenic acid oil (rich in γ-linolenic acid), or fat mixtures composed of safflower and γ-linolenic acid oils (65:35 and 30:70, w/w) for 20 days. γ-Linolenic acid oil, compared with palm and safflower oils, strongly and dose-dependently increased the activity and mRNA levels of hepatic fatty acid oxidation enzymes. In general, safflower and γ-linolenic acid oils, compared with palm oil, reduced the activity and mRNA levels of lipogenic enzymes. However, these oils were equivalent in reducing the parameters of lipogenesis, excluding malic enzyme and pyruvate kinase. The diets containing safflower and γ-linolenic acid oils, compared with the palm oil diet, significantly decreased serum triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels. The decreases were greater with γ-linolenic acid oil than with safflower oil. γ-Linolenic acid oil exerted strong serum lipid-lowering effects in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice apparently through the changes in hepatic fatty acid metabolism.