Gemfibrozil modifies acyl composition of liver microsomal phospholipids from guinea-pigs without promoting peroxisomal proliferation.

Treatment with gemfibrozil modifies acyl composition of hepatic microsomal phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in guinea-pigs. Palmitic (16:0) and palmitoleic (16:1) fatty acids are increased, and stearic (18:0) and oleic (18:1) are decreased; further, while linoleic acid [18:2 (n-6)] is increased by gemfibrozil treatment, the other constituents of the n-6 fatty acids family, including arachidonic acid [20:4 (n-6)], are decreased. As gemfibrozil is a potent inhibitor of fatty acid elongation in vitro (Sánchez et al., FEBS Lett 300: 89-92, 1992), the inhibition of this enzyme system by gemfibrozil treatment could be responsible for the observed results in vivo. These changes in fatty acid composition are accompanied by a decrease in serum lipids and, more important, are independent of peroxisomal proliferation.