The metabolic syndrome of omega3-depleted rats. V. Intestinal phospholipid omega6 fatty acids.

ABSTRACT

This study aims mainly at investigating the effects of a dietary deprivation and replenishment of omega3 PUFA upon the phospholipid pattern of omega6 PUFA in the duodenum, jejunum, caecum and colon of rats exposed for 3-7 months to an omega3-depleted diet and then eventually exposed for 2-4 weeks to an omega3-rich diet. In control rats, the relative weight content of all omega6 fatty acids differed in the proximal and distal intestinal segments. In the omega3-depleted rats the C182omega6, C202omega6 and C203omega6 content was decreased whilst that of C204omega6 and C224omega6 was increased. Significant correlations were found in the caecum or colon between the C182omega6 or C204omega6 content of intestinal phospholipids and their C226omega3 content, an increase in the latter content coinciding with an increase in C182omega6 and decrease of C204omega6. Such was also the case for C204omega6, but not C182omega6, in the duodenum and jejunum. At these proximal intestinal levels, exposure of the omega3-depleted rats to a flaxseed oil-enriched diet indeed decreased the C182omega6 phospholipid content, an effect possibly attributable to the much lower content of C182omega6 in the latter diet, as distinct from the sunflower diet offered to the omega3-depleted rats during the first 7 months. However, at more distal intestinal levels, and like in the liver, a deficiency in omega3 fatty acids apparently favours the stepwise conversion of C182omega6 to C204omega6 and C224omega6.