Gestational age dependent changes of the fetal brain, liver and adipose tissue fatty acid compositions in a population with high fish intakes

• Published in: Prostaglandins, leukotrienes and essential fatty acids leukotrienes and essential fatty acids, 2012-04, Vol.86 (4), p.189-199
• Main Authors: Kuipers, Remko S, Luxwolda, Martine F, Offringa, Pieter J, Rudy Boersma, E, Janneke Dijck-Brouwer, D.A, Muskiet, Frits A.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Advanced Basic Science; Africa; Animals; Antagonism; Arachidonic acid; Arachidonic Acid - metabolism; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Competition; Data processing; Diet; Docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids - metabolism; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Evolution; Evolutionary conservation; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Female; Fetal; Fetus - metabolism; Fetuses; Fishes; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infants; Leukotrienes; Linoleic acid; Linoleic Acid - metabolism; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Male; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Pregnancy; Prostaglandins; Stillbirth
• ISSN: 0952-3278; 1532-2823
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2012.02.007

Abstract Introduction There are no data on the intrauterine fatty acid (FA) compositions of brain, liver and adipose tissue of infants born to women with high fish intakes. Subjects and methods We analyzed the brain ( n =18), liver ( n =14) and adipose tissue ( n =11) FA compositions of 20 stillborn infants with different gestational ages (range 8–38 weeks) born to Tanzanian women with low linoleic acid (LA) intakes and high intakes of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic (AA) acids from local fish. Results and discussion With advancing gestation, brain saturated-FA (SAFA; in g/100 g FA), polyunsaturated-FA (PUFA), DHA, 20:3ω6, 22:4ω6 and 22:5ω6 increased, while monounsaturated-FA (MUFA), 20:3ω9, 22:3ω9 and AA decreased. Decreasing brain AA might be caused by increasing AA-metabolism to 20:3ω6, 22:4ω6 and 22:5ω6. In the liver, SAFA, PUFA and LA increased, while MUFA decreased with gestation. The steep increase of (mostly de novo synthesized) SAFA in adipose tissue coincided with relative decreases of MUFA, PUFA, DHA, LA and AA with advancing gestation. Compared to Western infants, the currently studied African infants had higher DHA, lower AA, and a higher DHA/AA-ratio in brain and adipose tissue, while the LA content of adipose tissue was lower. Conclusion The low LA and high DHA and AA intakes by the mothers of these infants might support optimal α-linolenic (ALA) vs. LA competition for Δ 5D and Δ 6D-activities and DHA vs. AA antagonism. Conversely, the Western diet, characterized by high LA and lower DHA and AA intakes, might disturb these evolutionary conserved mechanisms aiming at an optimal ω3/ω6-balance.