Uptake of individual fatty acids into adipose tissue in relation to their presence in the diet

Background: The fatty acid composition of adipose tissue triacylglycerol re flects, but is not identical to, the fatty acid composition of the habitual diet. Objective: We investigated whether the fatty acid composition of adipose ti ssue is explained by differences between fatty acids in early storage in ad ipose tissue after a meal. Design: Nine healthy men ate a meal containing several fatty acids. Blood s amples were taken for 6 h after the meal from an arterialized hand vein and a vein draining the anterior abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Results: Net storage of fatty acids in adipose tissue occurred between 1 an d 4 h after the meal. In relation to the amount fed, storage of fatty acids differed (P < 0.01) between classes (n-3 polyunsaturated < saturated < n-6 polyunsaturated < monounsaturated); oleic acid was stored in the greatest amounts. These differences agreed closely with published data, except for n -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The only individual metabolic step at which significant differences between fatty acids was shown was incorporation of fatty acids into chylomicron triacylglycerol. Differences between fatty ac ids in rate of extraction from chylomicron triacylglycerol and net uptake i nto adipose tissue in the postprandial period were significant (P < 0.01), but not when expressed in relation to proportions in chylomicron triacylgly cerol. Conclusions: The characteristic fatty acid pattern of adipose tissue may pr edominantly reflect the early metabolic handling of different fatty acids. Adipose tissue uptake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is slow in relatio n to that of other fatty acids.