Inverse relationship between linoleic acid in serum and in adipose tissue of patients with essential hypertension.

In patients with labile essential hypertension without and with overweight as well as in normotensive controls the fatty acid pattern of serum triglycerides and subcutaneous adipose tissue was estimated by gas liquid chromatography. In serum triglycerides of hypertensives linoleic acid was increased but appeared decreased in depot fat. This inverse relationship could not be found for arachidonic acid. Correspondingly, the C 18:2/C 20:4-ratio was higher in serum triglycerides than in adipose tissue. Only in depot fat of overweight hypertensives the percentage of arachidonic acid was decreased when compared to subjects with normal body weight. Linolenic acid remained unchanged in serum triglycerides but decreased significantly in adipose tissue of hypertensive patients. Eicosapentaenoic acid was increased in serum triglycerides and depot fat of patients with essential hypertension of normal body weight. The results are discussed with respect to the possible pathogenesis of essential hypertension and the hypotensive potency of dietary linoleic acid which has been described in patients with high blood pressure.