Lipid and fatty acid profiles in rats consuming different high‐fat ketogenic diets

Abstract

High-fat ketogenic diets are used to treat intractable seizures in children, but little is known of the mechanism by which these diets work or whether fats rich in n-3 polyunsaturates might be beneficial. Tissue lipid and fatty acid profiles were determined in rats consuming very high fat (80 weight%), low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets containing either medium-chain triglyceride, flaxseed oil, butter, or an equal combination of these three fat sources. Ketogenic diets containing butter markedly raised liver triglyceride but had no effect on plasma cholesterol. Unlike the other fats, flaxseed oil in the ketogenic diet did not raise brain cholesterol. Brain total and free fatty acid profiles remained similar in all groups, but there was an increase in the proportion of arachidonate in brain total lipids in the medium-chain triglyceride group, while the two groups consuming flaxseed oil had significantly lower arachidonate in brain, liver, and plasma. The very high dietary intake of alpha-linolenate in the flaxseed group did not change docosahexaenoate levels in the brain. Our previous report based on these diets showed that although ketosis is higher in rats consuming a ketogenic diet based on medium-chain triglyceride oil, seizure resistance in the pentylenetetrazol model is not clearly related to the degree of ketosis achieved. In combination with our present data from the same seizure study, it appears that ketogenic diets with widely differing effects on tissue lipids and fatty acid profiles can confer a similar amount of seizure protection.

Associative and predictive biomarkers of dementia in HIV-1–infected patients

“…Similar neuroprotective results have been reported in rodent seizure models, where a ketogenic diet is neuroprotective presumably by changes in fatty acid metabolism that result in increased concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain. 20 The effects of a ketogenic diet in transgenic models of HIV-D may provide insight into the role of lipid metabolism in aging patients with HIV-D.…”

Ketogenic Diet Disrupts the Circadian Clock and Increases Hypofibrinolytic Risk by Inducing Expression of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

“…Few studies have documented the effect of kDa on fibrinolytic functions, although KDs affect various cardiovascular risk factors such as body weight (BW), fat mass, blood lipids, and hormones both in humans 14,16 -21 and in animal models. [22][23][24] To evaluate the effect of kDa on fibrinolytic functions, we examined the temporal expression profile of PAI-1 in tissues from mice fed with a kDa (kDa mice). We discovered that kDa increases hypofibrinolytic risk by inducing abnormal circadian expression of the PAI-1 gene.…”

Flaxseed Oil Alone and as an Adjuvant With Phenytoin in Mes-Induced Seizures in Albino Rats

“…The n-3 PUFAs can raise the threshold of epileptic seizures [5]. It is also believed that the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) may have anticonvulsant effects [6].…”