The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 127 No. 5 May 1997, pp. 724-731
Copyright ©1997 by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences

Small Changes of Dietary (n-6) and (n-3)/Fatty Acid Content Ratio Alter Phosphatidylethanolamine and Phosphatidylcholine Fatty Acid Composition During Development of Neuronal and Glial Cells in Rats

Manuscript received 2 April 1996. Initial reviews completed 29 May 1996. Revision accepted 9 December 1996.

Jacqueline Jumpsen^*, Eric L. Lien, Yeow K. Goh^*, and M. Thomas Clandinin^{*, **,}

^* Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, ^** Nutrition and Metabolism Research Group and  Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada and  Wyeth-Ayerst Research, Philadelphia, PA 19087

It has been suggested that the fat composition of infant formula should provide arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)] and docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)] or increased -linolenic acid [18:3(n-3)] to optimize the (n-3) and (n-6) fatty acid content of brain during infant development. This experiment examined the effects of feeding increased levels of 18:3(n-3), 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) on brain development in neonatal rats. Diets varying in (n-6) and (n-3) fatty acid content with or without 20:4(n-6) or 22:6(n-3), at levels proposed for infant formula, were fed to nursing dams from parturition and subsequently to weaned pups until 6 wk of age. Neuronal and glial cells were isolated from the frontal region, cerebellum and hippocampus of the brain. Fatty acid analyses of ethanolamine- and choline-phosphoglycerides indicated that small changes in the dietary (n-6)/(n-3) ratio significantly altered neuronal and glial membrane fatty acid composition. Brain regions and cell types varied in amount and rate of 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) accretion. Fatty acid composition of individual phosphoglycerides was distinct and exhibited changes with age. Inclusion of both 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) in the diet resulted in alteration of brain fatty acid composition reflecting the fatty acid composition of the diet. If analogous developmental changes occur in human brain, then these results imply that addition of 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3) or a reduced 18:2(n-6):18:3(n-3) ratio in infant formula may result in fatty acid profiles of neuronal and glial cells in formula-fed infants similar to those observed in breast-fed infants.

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