Lipid Composition and Fatty Acid Profiles of Myelin and Synaptosomal Membranes of Rat Brain in Response to the Consumption of Different Fats

Effects of Fish Oil on the Central Nervous System: A New Potential Antidepressant?

“…Several works have reported that the FO intake affect FA composition of tissues (Bourre et al, 1997;Srinivasarao et al, 1997). In fact, cerebral cortex and hippocampus (Tables III and IV, respectively) from rats supplemented with FO, from conception to adult age, had an increase in EPA and DHA concentrations of several fold higher than that of control and CF supplemented.…”

Leukoencephalomyelopathy in cats linked to abnormal fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord and of irradiated dry cat food

“…A remarkable finding with respect to the fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord in affected animals compared to normal cats were the low levels of linoleic acid (C18:2n‐6) and even absence of alpha‐linolenic acid (C18:3n‐3) and the high levels of docosadienoic acid (C22:2n‐6), docosatetraenoic acid (C22:4n‐6) and unknown fatty acids in the affected cats. As myelin composition is directly influenced by the composition of dietary fats (Bourre et al, ; Srinivasarao et al, ), this might indicate a deficient supply of linoleic acid (C18:2n‐6) and particularly alpha‐linolenic acid (C18:3n‐3) from the irradiated food in our cats. Another remarkable finding with respect to the fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord in both affected and normal cats in our study was the absence of lignoceric acid (C24:0) as well as the absence of nervonic acid (C24:1), characteristic markers of mature compacted myelin in other animal species and man.…”

“…A remarkable finding with respect to the fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord in affected animals compared to normal cats were the low levels of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and even absence of alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) and the high levels of docosadienoic acid (C22:2n-6), docosatetraenoic acid (C22:4n-6) and unknown fatty acids in the affected cats. As myelin composition is directly influenced by the composition of dietary fats (Bourre et al, 1984;Srinivasarao et al, 1997), this might indicate a deficient supply of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and particularly alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) from the irradiated food in our cats.…”

“…The present paper describes the pathomorphological findings in four outbreaks of leukoencephalomyelopathy in colonies of SPF cats fed irradiated dry cat food in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2001. Because a definite cause for the disease has not been established until now, and the demyelinating lesions and their distribution throughout the white matter of the central nervous system in these cats show resemblance to primary demyelination due to defective or improper myelin formation as in Canavan's disease and adreno‐myelopathy in man and associated experimental mouse models (Baumann & Pham‐Dinii, ); polyunsaturated fatty acids, including essential fatty acids (EFA), are highly vulnerable to irradiation due to an increase in lipid peroxide formation (Hammer & Wills, ), reflected by higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) values after irradiation (De Oliveira Silva, Mársico, Oliveira de Jesus, Guimarães, & Sloboda Cortez, ) mostly affecting polyunsaturated fatty acids resulting in more saturated fatty acids (Javan & Motallebi, ), and increased formation of trans fatty acids (Yilmaz & Geçgel, ); nervous tissue concentrates omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in myelin (Lenox, ); lipid composition and fatty acid profiles of myelin of rat brain vary in response to the consumption of different fats (Bourre et al, ; Srinivasarao, Vajreswari, Rupalatha, & Narayanareddy, ); and induction of EFA deficiency in rats resulted in both a decrease of EFA in myelin but also vacuolation/myelin splitting in the optic nerve (Trapp, ), we hypothesized that abnormalities in fatty acid metabolism in myelin might play an essential role in the pathogenesis of this acquired form of leukoencephalomyelopathy in cats. Therefore, we investigated in addition the fatty acid profile of the white matter of the spinal cord of affected cats and control animals, and of irradiated and non‐irradiated food.…”

Activities of Synaptosomal Membrane-Bound Enzymes in Response to Dietary Alterations in Linoleic and .ALPHA.-Linolenic Acid.

“…Changes in membrane polar head group concentration, cholesterol content, total fatty acid composition, etc. [25] and the inter dependence of each of the above parameters may influence the functions of integral membrane-bound enzymes. In the present study, we sought to understand the mechanism underlying this complex phenomenon by feeding rats different proportions of linoleic acid and a-linolenic acids.…”