The Metabolism of Fatty Acids in the Rat VI. Arachidonic Acid

Göransson, G. The metabolism of fatty acids in the rat. VI. Arachidonic acid. Acta physiol. scand. 1965. 64 . 1–5. ‐H 3 ‐labeled arachidonic acid and C 14 ‐labeled palmitic acid were simultaneously injected into male rats. Arachidonic acid was preferentially incorporated into liver phospholipids as might be expected from the preponderance of this fatty acid in liver phospholipids as compared to glycerides. Initially, the labeled arachidonic acid and the labeled palmitic acid were oxidized at similar rates but at later times more arachidonic acid than palmitic acid was recovered from the whole animal. This may be explained by the preferential incorporation of arachidonic acid into phospholipid in combination with the low turnover rate of the phospholipids, especially those containing essential fatty acids. The pattern of label in the blood glycerides closely resembled that in the corresponding liver fraction.