The incorporation of orally administered radiolabeled dihomo gamma-linolenic acid (20 : 3 omega 6) into rat tissue lipids and its conversion of arachidonic acid.

Radioactivity from orally administered radiolabeled dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20 : 3 omega 6) was recovered from the liver, plasma and brain lipid fractions. After administration the fatty acid was metabolized to arachidonic acid, the 22 carbon chain length fatty acid, and was also beta-oxidized. However, 22 hr after administration of [1-14C] 20 : 3 between one-third and one-half of the recovered radioactivity was still associated with dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid in the liver and plasma lipid fractions. Orally administered dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid is incorporated into lipid fractions and is, therefore, available in the metabolic pool for PGE1 synthesis.