Influence of dietary fatty acids on endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine levels in rat brain, liver and small intestine

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • A. Artmann
  • G. Petersen
  • Hansen, Harald S.
  • C. Skonberg
  • S.H. Hansen
  • L.I. Hellgren
  • Julie Boberg
  • C. Nellemann
Endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines are lipid mediators regulating a wide range of biological functions including food intake. We investigated short-term effects of feeding rats five different dietary fats (palm oil (PO), olive oil (OA), safflower oil (LA), fish oil (FO) and arachidonic acid (AA)) on tissue levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, anandamide, oleoylethanolamide, palmitoylethanolamide, stearoylethanolamide, linoleoylethanolamide, eicosapentaenoylethanolamide, docosahexaenoylethanolamide and tissue fatty acid composition. The LA-diet increased linoleoylethanolamide and linoleic acid in brain, jejunum and liver. The OA-diet increased brain levels of anandamide and oleoylethanolamide (not 2-arachidonoylglycerol) without changing tissue fatty acid composition. The same diet increased oleoylethanolamide in liver. All five dietary fats decreased oleoylethanolamide in jejunum without changing levels of anandamide, suggesting that dietary fat may have an orexigenic effect. The AA-diet increased anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in jejunum without effect on liver. The FO-diet decreased liver levels of all N-acylethanolamines (except eicosapentaenoylethanolamide and docosahexaenoylethanolamide) with similar changes in precursor lipids. The AA-diet and FO-diet had no effect on N-acylethanolamines, endocannabinoids or precursor lipids in brain. All N-acylethanolamines activated PPAR-alpha. In conclusion, short-term feeding of diets resembling human diets (Mediterranean diet high in monounsaturated fat, diet high in saturated fat, or diet high in polyunsaturated fat) can affect tissue levels of endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamines.
Original languageEnglish
JournalB B A - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids
Volume1781
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)200-212
Number of pages13
ISSN1388-1981
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2008

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Brain Chemistry; Dietary Fats; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Endocannabinoids; Ethanolamines; Intestine, Small; Linoleic Acid; Liver; Male; Oleic Acid; PPAR alpha; Palmitic Acid; Pyrimidines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

ID: 6747624