Docosahexaenoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid Prevent Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency and Hepatic Steatosis

• Published in: JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 431 - 441
• Main Authors: Le, Hau D., Meisel, Jonathan A., de Meijer, Vincent E., Fallon, Erica M., Gura, Kathleen M., Nose, Vania, Bistrian, Bruce R., Puder, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-07-2012; Sage Publications
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Animals; Arachidonic Acid - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Coconut Oil; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Docosahexaenoic Acids - administration & dosage; Emergency and intensive care: metabolism and nutrition disorders. Enteral and parenteral nutrition; Energy Intake; Fatty Acids, Essential - deficiency; fatty liver; Fatty Liver - prevention & control; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Intensive care medicine; linoleic acid; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Other diseases. Semiology; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; polyunsaturated fatty acids; α‐linolenic acid; ω‐3 fatty acid; ω‐6; linoleic acid; ω-3 fatty acid; fatty liver; ω-6; α-linolenic acid; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Fatty liver; Nutrition; Deficiency; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Arachidonic acid; Enteral administration; Parenteral administration; Feeding
• ISSN: 0148-6071; 1941-2444; 0148-6071
• DOI: 10.1177/0148607111414580

Objectives: Essential fatty acids are important for growth, development, and physiologic function. α-Linolenic acid and linoleic acid are the precursors of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid, respectively, and have traditionally been considered the essential fatty acids. However, the authors hypothesized that docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid can function as the essential fatty acids. Methods: Using a murine model of essential fatty acid deficiency and consequent hepatic steatosis, the authors provided mice with varying amounts of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids to determine whether exclusive supplementation of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids could prevent essential fatty acid deficiency and inhibit or attenuate hepatic steatosis. Results: Mice supplemented with docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids at 2.1% or 4.2% of their calories for 19 days had normal liver histology and no biochemical evidence of essential fatty acid deficiency, which persisted when observed after 9 weeks. Conclusion: Supplementation of sufficient amounts of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids alone without α-linolenic and linoleic acids meets essential fatty acid requirements and prevents hepatic steatosis in a murine model.