Incorporation of 14 C-Docosahexaenoic Acid into Lipids of Rats

Summary

¹⁴C-docosahexaenoic acid, prepared by administration of ¹⁴C₁-linolenic acid to essential fatty acid-deficient rats, was isolated from liver phospholipids and converted to methyl docosahexaenoate, sp act 8 X 10⁵ dpm/mg, purity about 90%. This was converted to the free acid and injected into rats. ¹⁴C-docosahexaenoic acid was incorporated mainly into carcass and liver. In liver, radioactivity appeared most rapidly in PE and later in PC. This behavior is unlike the incorporations of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n9, 18:2n6, or 20:4n6, which are all incorporated most quickly into PC. Most of the radioactivity was recovered as 22:6n3, although considerable activity was present in C-16 and C-18 chains.