Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and nucleotides on tissue fatty acid profiles of rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage

The deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that occurs in plasma of patients with liver cirrhosis has been assessed in rats with severe stea tosis and mild liver necrosis induced by repeated administration of low dos es of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The contribution of both dietary (n-3) l ong-chain PUFA and nucleotides to the recovery of the altered fatty acid pr ofiles of tissue lipids of these rats has also been studied. Two groups of rats were used. The first was intraperitoneally injected 0.15 ml of a 10% ( v/v) CCl4 solution in paraffin per 100 g of body weight, three times a week for 9 weeks; the second received paraffin alone. After the treatment, six rats of each group were killed. Afterwards, the remaining controls were fed a semipurified diet (SPD) for 3 weeks, and the remaining rats in the CCl4 group were divided into three new groups: the first was fed the SP diet; th e second was fed the SP diet supplemented with 1% (n-3) polyunsaturated fat ty acids (PUFA diet); and the third was fed the SP diet supplemented with 2 50 mg nucleotides per 100 g diet (NT diet). Fatty acids of plasma, erythroc yte membranes and liver microsomes were analyzed. Decreases in linoleic and arachidonic acids in both total plasma lipids and liver microsomal phospho lipids were the main findings due to CCl4 treatment. The rats that received CCl4 and the PUFA diet showed the lowest levels of (n-6) PUFA and the high est levels of (n-3) PUFA in liver microsomal phospholipids, as well as a si gnificant increase of (n-3) PUFAs in total plasma lipids. The animals that received the NT diet showed no signs of fatty infiltration and exhibited th e highest levels of (n-6) PUFAs in liver microsomal phospholipids. These re sults show that CCl4 affects fatty acid metabolism which is accordingly ref lected in altered tissue fatty acid profiles, and that balanced diets conta ining PU FA and nucleotides are important for the recovery of the damaged l iver in rats.