Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026
Fatty Acid 13C Isotopologue Profiling Provides Insight into Trophic Carbon Transfer and Lipid Metabolism of Invertebrate Consumers
Published on: April 17, 2018
Influence of dietary long-chain PUFA on premature baboon lung FA and dipalmitoyl PC composition
Angela Chueh Chao1, Bassem I Ziadeh, Guan-Yeu Diau
1Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Insights
Dietary DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) supplementation improved lung surfactant lipid concentration in preterm baboons. This supports improved lung function by increasing long-chain polyunsaturates without negatively impacting palmitate or DPPC levels.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Nutritional science
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Premature birth poses survival challenges, notably impaired lung surfactant production.
- Lung surfactant's lipid component, dipalmitoyl PC (DPPC), normally increases before term birth.
- Lung fatty acid (FA) composition shifts away from unsaturates prior to term birth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) on lung FA composition and DPPC concentration.
- To compare outcomes in term and preterm baboons under different feeding regimens.
- To assess the effects of antenatal corticosteroids in preterm neonates.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial in pregnant baboons and neonates across four groups: breast-fed (B), term formula-fed (T-), preterm formula-fed (P-), and preterm formula-fed with DHA-AA (P+).
- Preterm groups received antenatal corticosteroids.
- Neonatal lung tissue analyzed for FA composition and DPPC at 4 weeks adjusted age.
Main Results:
- Palmitate (16:0) levels were consistent across all groups (~28% of lung total FA).
- DPPC concentration was significantly higher in the breast-fed (B) group compared to unsupplemented preterm (P-) and term (T-) groups, but not different from the DHA-AA supplemented preterm (P+) group.
- Lung tissue DHA and AA levels were significantly higher in both B and P+ groups compared to T- and P- groups.
Conclusions:
- Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCP) supplementation, specifically DHA and AA, increases lung DHA and AA concentrations in preterm baboons.
- LCP supplementation supports improved surfactant lipid concentration in preterm neonate lungs.
- Dietary LCP supplementation does not compromise overall lung palmitate or DPPC levels, indicating a beneficial shift towards unsaturation for surfactant production.
Abstract:
One of the major survival challenges of premature birth is production of lung surfactant. The lipid component of surfactant, dipalmitoyl PC (DPPC), increases in concentration in the period before normal term birth via a net shift in FA composition away from unsaturates. We investigated the influence of dietary DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) on lung FA composition and DPPC concentration in term and preterm baboons. Pregnant animals/neonates were randomized to one of four groups: breast-fed (B), term formula-fed (T-, preterm formula-fed (P-, and preterm fed formula supplemented with DHA-AA (P+). Breast milk contained 0.68%wt DHA and the P+ group formula contained 0.61%wt DHA. In the preterm groups (P- and P+), pregnant females received a course of antenatal corticosteroids. At the adjusted age of 4 wk, neonate lung tissue was harvested, and FA composition and DPPC were analyzed. Palmitate was approximately 28%wt of lung total FA and no significant differences were found among the four treatment groups. In contrast, DPPC in the B group lung tissue was significantly greater than DPPC in the unsupplemented groups, but not compared with the P+ group. The B and P+ groups were not significantly different in DHA and AA, but were different compared with the unsupplemented (T, P-) groups. These results indicate that LCP supplementation increases lung DHA and AA, without compromising overall lung 16:0 or DPPC. The shift in FA composition toward greater unsaturation in the groups consuming LCP supported improved surfactant lipid concentration in preterm neonate lungs.
