Changes of polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum lipids of spontaneously hypertensive rats during the onset of high blood pressure.

The fatty acid pattern of serum triglycerides and cholesterol esters has been estimated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar rats (WR) at 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 weeks of age. The percentage of linoleic acid (LA) was lower in SHR when compared with WR, but increased with age in both strains. Arachidonic acid (AA) showed an abrupt fall in SHR and WR at 5 weeks of age in comparison to 4 week old rats. The fall was more pronounced in serum triglycerides of the former and in cholesterol esters of the latter. The changes in AA occurred prior to the onset of hypertension in SHR. From the data it can be concluded that the formation of AA from LA might be dependent on age being quantitatively different in SHR and WR. Furthermore, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) appeared lower in SHR than in age-related WR. Docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids also revealed a marked decrease in rats between 4 and 5 weeks of age indicating that individual polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) change in a different manner which might be relevant to the development of high blood pressure in SHR.