Dietary 20 : 4n-6 and 22 : 6n-3 modulates the profile of long- and very-long-chain fatty acids, rhodopsin content, and kinetics in developing photoreceptor cells
M. Suh et al., Dietary 20 : 4n-6 and 22 : 6n-3 modulates the profile of long- and very-long-chain fatty acids, rhodopsin content, and kinetics in developing photoreceptor cells, PEDIAT RES, 48(4), 2000, pp. 524-530
The objective of this study was to determine whether addition of dietary 20
:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 to a conventional infant formula fat blend influences mem
brane long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acid composition, rhodopsin cont
ent, and rhodopsin kinetics in developing rat photoreceptor cells. The diet
ary fats were formulated based on the fat composition of a conventional inf
ant formula providing an 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio of 7:1 (SMA, Wyeth Nutrition
als), which served as the control fat blend. This dietary fat blend was mod
ified to contain 20:4n-6 [arachidonic acid (AA)], 22:6n-3 [docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA)], AA + DHA, or an 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio of 4:1 (alpha-linolenic
acid). Darns were fed diets from birth, and rat pups were fed the same diet
after weaning. Retinas and rod outer segments were prepared in the dark fr
om pups at 2, 3, and 6 wk of age for fatty acid analysis of individual phos
pholipids, rhodopsin content, and rhodopsin disappearance kinetics after li
ght exposure. Feeding AA + DHA in the diet increased 22:6n-3 levels in phos
phatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. In phosphatidylcholine, total
n-6 tetraenoic very-long-chain fatty acids and total n-3 pentaenoic and n-
3 hexaenoic very-long-chain fatty acids increased after feeding AA and DHA,
respectively. Developmental changes were characterized by a decrease in 20
:4n-6 in the major phospholipids, whereas 22:6n-3 increased with age in rod
outer segments. The highest rhodopsin content occurred in the retina of ra
ts fed diets containing AA and/or DHA, The kinetics of rhodopsin disappeara
nce after light exposure was highest in rats fed DIIA at 6 wk of age. This
study demonstrates that small manipulations of the dietary level of 20:4n-6
and 22:6n-3 are important determinants of fatty acid composition of membra
ne lipid and visual pigment content and kinetics in the developing photorec
eptor cell.