Availability of arachidonic acid in major phospholipids of mucosa and the stomach wall of rats.

UNLABELLED

The purpose of this study was to examine the availability of arachidonic acid in phosphatdidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of mucosa and the stomach wall of adult male Wistar rats fed a standard diet. There were significant differences in the fatty acid composition of PC and PE between various parts of the stomach. The mucosa had the lowest level of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in PC, followed by the corresponding stomach wall or glandular part, whereas the forestomach or the upper part had the highest level of 20:4n-6. The level of 20:4n-6 in PE was identical in gastric mucosa and the stomach wall of both the lower and upper parts. The levels of 18:1n-9 and 18:2n-6 were significantly higher in both PC and PE of mucosa than in the stomach wall. The levels of 16:0 and 18:0 in PC were lower in mucosa than in either forestomach or the glandular part. In mucosal PE, the levels of 18:0 and 22:6n-3 were lower than in forestomach and glandular part. The glandular part had significantly higher level of 16:0 and lower level of 20:4n-6 in PC compared to the forestomach.

CONCLUSIONS

The arachidonic acid level of PC was significantly different in various parts of the rat stomach, with the lowest level in mucosa, whereas the level of 20:4n-6 in PE was identical in mucosa and stomach wall. These phospholipids had higher levels of saturated fatty acids in the stomach wall than in gastric mucosa.