Changes in plasma and colonic mucosa fatty acid profiles in rats with ulcerative colitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid

Polyunsaturated fatty acids have a key role in the pathogenesis of inflamma tory bowel disease since some of the arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoids h ave been found to be increased in inflamed intestinal mucosa in the acute p hase of human disease. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess pl asma and colon mucosa fatty acid patterns in rats with experimental ulcerat ive colitis. Twenty rats were treated with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid an d 20 with NaCl: two groups were killed after one week and two after two wee ks to evaluate colon damage. Plasma was obtained by aortic puncture and col onic mucosa was scraped off and the fatty acid pattern was determined by ga s-liquid chromatography. Total, saturated, and monounsaturated plasma fatty acids were significantly higher in both periods of ulcerative colitis as c ompared to controls. Plasma n-6 fatty acids were increased after treatment, but no significant changes were observed concerning to n-3 fatty acids. Wi th regard to colon mucosa, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids did no t change because of the disease; however, n-6 fatty acids decreased in the first week and increased in the second week and n-3 fatty acids were increa sed. Changes on the fatty acid distribution in plasma did not parallel to t hose of colonic mucosa except for 22:6(n-3). We have also found that experi mental ulcerative colitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid reproduc es many of the features related to changes in plasma and colon mucosa fatty acids observed in the human disease.