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Dietary (n-3) Fatty Acids Alter Fatty Acid Composition and Prostaglandin Synthesis in Rat Testis¹

Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of linolenic acid [18:3(n-3)], compared with the long-chain (n-3) fatty acids in fish oil, in suppressing arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)] metabolism in rat testis. Six groups of rats were fed three levels of 18:3(n-3) or fish oil, and the fatty acid composition of testis parenchyma lipids and prostaglandin (PG) I₂ synthesis by tunica were determined after 12 wk. Levels of docosapentaenoic acid [22:5(n-6)], the major 22-carbon fatty acid in rat testis lipids, were significantly depressed compared with the control by both linolenic acid and fish oil; however, testis weights were not affected significantly. Arachidonic acid levels also were depressed significantly in testis lipids by dietary (n-3) fatty acids, but the decreases were not as pronounced as those observed in other tissues. The synthesis of PGI₂ was significantly reduced compared with the control by (n-3) fatty acid feeding, but there were no differences among the experimental groups. Both 18:3(n-3) and the longer-chain (n-3) fatty acids from fish oil reduce levels of 20:4(n-6) and 22:5(n-6) in testis lipids and the capacity of the tunica to synthesize PGI₂, but these fatty acids seem to cause no defect in testicular development as indicated by weight.

KEY WORDS: • rats • testis • linolenic acid • fish oil • prostaglandins • fatty acids

¹ Supported by National Institutes of Health grant (1ROI DK 41868-01), U.S. Department of Agriculture Competitive Research Grant (CRCR-1-2513) and a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 1 October 1990. Revision accepted 21 January 1991.