TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain docosahexaenoate accretion in fetal baboons
T2 - Bioequivalence of dietary α-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids
AU - Greiner, C.
AU - Winter, James
AU - Nathanielsz, Peter V.
AU - Brenna, J.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1997/12
Y1 - 1997/12
N2 - The dietary bioequivalence during the brain growth spurt of α-linolenic (LNA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) as substrates for brain and retinal n- 3 fatty acid accretion is reported for the fetal baboons, whose mothers consumed a long chain polyunsaturate-free diet with a n-6/n-3 ratio of 10:1. Pregnant baboons received i.v. doses of U-13C-labeled fatty acids (LNA or DHA), plasma was collected from mother and fetus, and fetal brain (occipital cortex), retina, and liver were analyzed at various times post-dose. Fetal brain DHA plateaued 15-35 d post-dose with 1.6% of the preformed [U-13C- ]DHA dose recovered in the brain. In contrast, LNA-derived DHA accretion also plateaued but was 20-fold lower. Liver and retinal results were of the same order of magnitude, but showed evidence of peaks and decline. Conversion products to n-3 long chain polyunsaturate were observed in the maternal circulation at 1 h after administration, as was transfer of both fatty acids to the fetus. From these measurements we estimate that a dietary level of about 0.45% of energy as LNA is sufficient to meet the requirements of the growing fetal brain, whereas 0.03% of energy as DHA would suffice. These data are the first direct measurements of the bioequivalence of DHA and LNA in developing primates and imply that n-3 fatty acid requirements for the developing fetal brain can be met by attainable dietary LNA for diets low in long chain polyunsaturates.
AB - The dietary bioequivalence during the brain growth spurt of α-linolenic (LNA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) as substrates for brain and retinal n- 3 fatty acid accretion is reported for the fetal baboons, whose mothers consumed a long chain polyunsaturate-free diet with a n-6/n-3 ratio of 10:1. Pregnant baboons received i.v. doses of U-13C-labeled fatty acids (LNA or DHA), plasma was collected from mother and fetus, and fetal brain (occipital cortex), retina, and liver were analyzed at various times post-dose. Fetal brain DHA plateaued 15-35 d post-dose with 1.6% of the preformed [U-13C- ]DHA dose recovered in the brain. In contrast, LNA-derived DHA accretion also plateaued but was 20-fold lower. Liver and retinal results were of the same order of magnitude, but showed evidence of peaks and decline. Conversion products to n-3 long chain polyunsaturate were observed in the maternal circulation at 1 h after administration, as was transfer of both fatty acids to the fetus. From these measurements we estimate that a dietary level of about 0.45% of energy as LNA is sufficient to meet the requirements of the growing fetal brain, whereas 0.03% of energy as DHA would suffice. These data are the first direct measurements of the bioequivalence of DHA and LNA in developing primates and imply that n-3 fatty acid requirements for the developing fetal brain can be met by attainable dietary LNA for diets low in long chain polyunsaturates.
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U2 - 10.1203/00006450-199712000-00018
DO - 10.1203/00006450-199712000-00018
M3 - Article
C2 - 9396565
AN - SCOPUS:0001184521
VL - 42
SP - 826
EP - 834
JO - Pediatric Research
JF - Pediatric Research
SN - 0031-3998
IS - 6
ER -