Effects of dietary 9-trans, 12-trans linoleate on arachidonic acid metabolism in rat platelets

In order to determine the minimal amount of dietary 9-trans,12-trans-linoleate which can decrease endoperoxide metabolites synthesized and their precursor in rat platelets, graded amounts (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5%) of thetrans-linoleate were fed to rats with a constant amount of all-cis-linoleate (2.5%) for 12 weeks. Arachidonic acid levels in platelet phospholipids of groups receiving thetrans-linoleate at 2.5 and 1.0% were significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of the control receiving notrans-linoleate. Concentrations of TXB₂ and PGF_2α in sera of the group receiving 2.5%trans-linoleate were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those of the control; however, there was no difference between the group receiving 1.0%trans-linoleate and the control. To determine whether the difference in serum concentrations of endoperoxide metabolites could be manifested if rats were fed for longer period of time, 2 groups of rats were again fed diets containing 0 and 1.0%trans-linoleate, respectively, for 16 weeks. Arachidonic acid in platelet phospholipids of the group receiving thetrans-linoleate was again significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of the control group. Concentrations of TXB₂ and PGF_2α, and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid formed in platelets, were smaller in the group receivingtrans-linoleate than the control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. These results indicated that all-trans-linoleate can reduce arachidonic acid metabolites formed in rat platelets when its dietary level is equal to or exceeds the level of all-cis-linoeate.