Inclusion of 10% fish oil in mixed medium-chain triacylglycerol-long-chain triacylglycerol emulsions increases plasma triacylglycerol clearance and induces rapid eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) incorporation into blood cell phospholipids

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition 2008-08, Vol.88 (2), p.282-288
• Main Authors: Simoens, Christian M, Deckelbaum, Richard J, Massaut, Jacques J, Carpentier, Yvon A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; blood cells; Blood Platelets - chemistry; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Cross-Over Studies; Diet; dietary supplements; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; eicosapentaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - metabolism; emulsions; experimental diets; Fat Emulsions, Intravenous - chemistry; Fatty acids; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fish oils; Fish Oils - administration & dosage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Leukocytes; Leukocytes - chemistry; Leukocytes - metabolism; lipid metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Male; medium chain triacylglycerols; men; Metabolic Clearance Rate; mixed medium-chain triacylglycerol-long-chain triacylglycerol emulsions; Nutrition; Parenteral Nutrition; phospholipids; Phospholipids - chemistry; Phospholipids - metabolism; plasma triacylglycerol clearance; Prospective Studies; Studies; Triglycerides - blood; Triglycerides - metabolism; Triglycerides - pharmacokinetics; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/88.2.282

BACKGROUND:Lipolysis of a fish oil (FO) emulsion is much slower than that of a soybean [long-chain triacylglycerol (LCT)] emulsion; in contrast, emulsions containing medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) are efficiently hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase. OBJECTIVES:We questioned whether incorporating 10% FO in a mixed MCT-LCT emulsion would affect plasma triacylglycerol clearance and provide efficient delivery of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to cells and tissues. DESIGN:This prospective crossover study was conducted in 8 normolipidemic subjects with the use of the hypertriglyceridemic clamp model and compared plasma triacylglycerol clearance of a lipid emulsion (5:4:1) made of 50% MCT, 40% LCT, and 10% FO (wt:wt:wt) to a control (5:5) preparation with 50% MCT and 50% LCT. Subjects were daily infused for 5 h, over 4 consecutive days. Fatty acyl pattern was daily measured in plasma phospholipids as well as in leukocyte and platelet phospholipids. RESULTS:Inclusion of 10% FO in mixed emulsion particles enhanced plasma clearance of infused triacylglycerols (18%; P < 0.0001). The faster elimination of the 5:4:1 emulsion appears related to an enhanced uptake of remnant particles rather than to faster intravascular lipolysis. Each infusion of 5:4:1 raised the eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) concentration in blood cell phospholipids to reach a 7-fold enrichment in platelets and a >2-fold enrichment in leukocytes after 4 infusions. In contrast, the docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) concentration remained unchanged in blood cell phospholipids. CONCLUSIONS:Infusion of a mixed emulsion with MCTs, soy LCTs, and FO is associated with efficient plasma triacylglycerol clearance and results in rapid incorporation of C20:5n-3 but not C22:6n-3 in leukocyte and platelet phospholipids.