Effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on PUFA levels in red blood cells and plasma

verfasst von

Jan Philipp Schuchardt, Annika I Ostermann, Lisa Stork, Laura Kutzner, Heike Kohrs, Theresa Greupner, Andreas Hahn, Nils Helge Schebb

Abstract

Introduction Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are metabolized in a complex network of elongation, desaturation and beta oxidation. Material and methods The short (1 and 3 wk), and long term (6 and 12 wk) effect of 1076 mg/d docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, free of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)) on (absolute) PUFA concentrations in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) of 12 healthy men (mean age 25.1±1.5 years) was investigated. Results RBC DHA concentrations significantly (p<0.001) increased from 28±1.6 µg/mL to 38±2.0 µg/mL (wk 1), 52±3.3 µg/mL (wk 3), 68±2.6 µg/mL (wk 6), and 79±3.5 µg/mL (wk 12). Arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations declined in response to DHA treatment, while the effect was more pronounced in plasma (wk 0: 183±9.9 µg/mL, wk 12: 139±8.0 µg/mL, −24%, p<0.001) compared to RBC (wk 0: 130±3.7 µg/mL, wk 12: 108±4.0 µg/mL, −16%, p=0.001). Furthermore, an increase of EPA concentrations in plasma (wk 0: 15±1.5 µg/mL, wk 1:19±1.6 µg/mL, wk 3: 27±2.3 µg/mL, wk 6: 23±1.2 µg/mL, wk 12: 25±1.7 µg/mL, p<0.001) and RBC (wk 0: 4.7±0.33 µg/mL, wk 1: 6.7±1.3 µg/mL, wk 3: 8.0±0.66 µg/mL, wk 6: 6.9±0.44 µg/mL, wk 12: 6.7±0.45 µg/mL, n.s.) was observed suggesting a retroconversion of DHA to EPA. Conclusion Based on PUFA concentrations we showed that DHA supplementation results in increased EPA levels, whereas it is not known if this impacts the formation of EPA-derived lipid mediators. Furthermore, shifts in the entire PUFA pattern after supplementation of EPA or DHA should be taken into account when discussing differential physiological effects of EPA and DHA.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Lebensmittelwissenschaft und Humanernährung
Abteilung Ernährungsphysiologie und Humanernährung

Externe Organisation(en)

Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover
Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids

Band

115

Seiten

12-23

Anzahl der Seiten

12

ISSN

0952-3278

Publikationsdatum

12.2016

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Klinische Biochemie, Zellbiologie

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2016.10.005 (Zugang: Geschlossen)