Metabolism of arachidonic acid-l-14C in the rat

Abstract

The metabolism of arachidonic acid-1-14C has been studied in the rat. The acid was fed as a component of randomly rearranged soybean oil; its absorption was greater than 96%. The rate of catabolism of arachidonic acid was significantly lower than that previously seen for linoleic acid and other long-chain fatty acids. A marked tendency for arachidonic acid to be incorporated into phospholipids was observed. Arachidonic acid-containing phospholipids have been shown to have a slower turnover rate than linoleic and palmitic acid-containing phospholipids. It is proposed that this slower turnover rate is a reflection of the “essential” character of arachidonic acid and is a rational explanation for the slower catabolic rate of this acid.

Keywords

• metabolism
• arachidonic acid
• rat
• absorption
• catabolism