Subject(s)
Fatty Acids/blood , Fish Oils/therapeutic use , Glucose Tolerance Test , Hypertriglyceridemia/blood , Insulin/metabolism , Lipids/blood , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Dietary Fats, Unsaturated/administration & dosage , Dietary Fats, Unsaturated/therapeutic use , Fatty Acids, Omega-3/administration & dosage , Fatty Acids, Omega-3/therapeutic use , Fish Oils/administration & dosage , Humans , Hypertriglyceridemia/diet therapy , Insulin SecretionABSTRACT
Carcinomatous tissue consumes intensely polyenic fatty acids which are the building elements of growing biomembranes. The authors compared plasma levels of essential fatty acids (EFA) in three groups of subjects: 1. patients with carcinoma, 2. control group, 3. groups with sub-nutrition. The profile in these three groups differs significantly. In patients with carcinoma the level of derived EFA is reduced (20:4w6, 20:5w3, 22:6w3), while primary EFA (linoleic acid 18:2w6) is unaltered. The results suggest that in patients with carcinoma there is a specific reduction of EFA essential for the formation of cellular biomembranes. The reduction is probably due to the increased consumptions of derived EFA by carcinomatous tissues.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma/blood , Fatty Acids, Essential/blood , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nutrition Disorders/bloodABSTRACT
The effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 family (PUFA n-3), (addition of fish oil), on the molecular composition of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides in plasma and liver perfusate of rats were studied. Rats fed a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (addition of lard) served as controls. Supplemention with PUFA n-3 not only decreases the plasma concentrations of free cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, and triglycerides, it also significantly alters the plasma composition of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides. Analyses of liver perfusate indicate a decrease in triglycerides secretion by in vitro perfused liver and reciprocal changes in relative contents of cholesteryl esters fractions with C(16) and C(20) acyl chains. This finding may be a result of chain-shortening of long-chain fatty acids probably in peroxisomal beta-oxidative system. Alterations in plasma cholesteryl esters and triglycerides composition of the fish oil group could be affected further by additional factors such as increased plasma cholesterol esterification activity and presence of triglyceride species of intestinal origin.
