Interactions between the metabolism of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids

Dietary n-3 fatty acids modify the fatty acid composition of phospholipids of different cells and tissues from rats in diverse ways. Neutrophil and platelet phospholipids contain elevated amounts of 20:5n-3, but only relatively small changes occur in the levels of 22-carbon n-3 fatty acids. Conversely, dietary n-3 acids result primarily in an increase in 22-carbon n-3 acids in heart, liver and kidney phospholipids. Platelets metabolize exogenous n-6 and n-3 fatty acids into a variety of different autocoids. However, it appears that only arachidonate and 20:5n-3 are released from phospholipids upon agonist-induced stimulation of phospholipases. Neutrophils metabolize arachidonate and 20:5n-3 in similar ways, both relative to phospholipid biosynthesis and the subsequent release of these acids for metabolism into leukotrienes.