Linoleic acid metabolism in brain cortex of aged rats

The linoleic acid metabolism was examined in the brain cortex of 4 month-old and 24 month-old rats. After the injection of [1-14C]-linoleate into the lateral ventricle of the brain the animals were sacrificed at 1,3 and 6 hours from the injection. The linoleate (18:2) incorporation into lipids, the presence of fatty acid peroxidation products, as well as the 18:2 transformation into elongated and desaturated derivatives were determined. Both an age-related reduction in linoleate incorporation rate into glycerophospholipids and a decrease in fatty acid turnover were found. Furthermore, in glycerophospholipids from 24 month-old rat brain cortex a higher level of hydroperoxide derivative of linoleate was found as compared to 4 month-old animals, and this damaged fatty acid is eliminated more slowly in aged rats than in adults. Finally, unlike 4 month-old animals, a stimulation of the transformation rate of linoleate into desaturation (6,9,12-C18:3) and elongation (8,11,14,C20:3) products was found in 24 month-old rat brain cortex. On the contrary, as far as arachidonic acid (one of the most important end products of the mechanism of linoleate modification) is concerned, the differences between aged and control animals were small, making it quite difficult to attribute a physiological meaning to this phenomenon.