Need to purchase reprints? Click here to order
Am J Clin Nutr 91: 23-31, 2010. First published November 18, 2009; doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28206
 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28206
Vol. 91, No. 1, 23-31, January 2010
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
91/1/23    most recent
ajcn.2009.28206v1
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Friesen, R. W
Right arrow Articles by Innis, S. M
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Friesen, R. W
Right arrow Articles by Innis, S. M
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Friesen, R. W
Right arrow Articles by Innis, S. M
© 2010 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

Linoleic acid is associated with lower long-chain n–6 and n–3 fatty acids in red blood cell lipids of Canadian pregnant women1,2,3

Russell W Friesen and Sheila M Innis

1 From the Nutrition and Metabolism Program, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

2 SMI was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research.

3 Address correspondence to SM Innis, Nutrition Research Program, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4. E-mail: sinnis{at}interchange.ubc.ca.

Background: Arachidonic (ARA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are important in membrane glycerophospholipids. Higher maternal blood ARA, EPA, and DHA concentrations in gestation are associated with higher maternal-to-fetal transfer of ARA, EPA, and DHA, respectively, which emphasizes the importance of maternal fatty acid status in gestation. As in the brain, red blood cell (RBC) ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPGs) are high in plasmalogen, ARA, and DHA.

Objective: We determined the relation between dietary n–6 ({omega}–6) and n–3 ({omega}–3) fatty acid intakes and n–6 and n–3 fatty acids in RBC EPGs and phosphatidylcholine in near-term pregnant women.

Design: The subjects were 105 healthy Canadian pregnant (36 wk gestation) women. Fatty acid intakes were estimated by food-frequency questionnaire, and fasting venous blood samples were collected.

Results: DHA and EPA intakes were positively associated with RBC EPG and phosphatidylcholine concentrations of DHA ({rho} = 0.309 and 0.369, respectively; P < 0.001) and EPA ({rho} = 0.391 and 0.228, respectively; P < 0.001) and inversely associated with RBC EPG 22:4n–6 and 22:5n–6 (P < 0.001). In RBCs, concentrations of linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n–6) were inversely associated with DHA, EPA, and ARA, respectively, in EPGs (r = –0.432, P < 0.01; r = –0.201, P < 0.04; and r = –0.303, P < 0.01) and phosphatidylcholine (r = –0.460, –0.490, and –0.604; P < 0.01 for all).

Conclusions: Membrane fatty acids are influenced by the amount and balance of fatty acid substrates. Our results suggest the competitive interaction of LA with ARA, EPA, and DHA, with no evidence that higher LA increases ARA. Biochemical indicators to suggest that DHA is limiting are present in our population. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00620672.