Changes in the fatty acid profile of plasma and adipose tissue in rats after long-term ethanol feeding

The effect of chronic ethanol feeding on the fatty acid composition of plasma and abdominal adipose tissue in rats was studied. Animals were maintained on a 30% ethanol solution in drinking water for 3 and 5 months. Control rats were given water. Caloric intake was similar in control and ethanol-fed rats at the end of the experimental period. However, a decrease in body weight was observed in rats that had consumed ethanol. Palmitoleic (16:1n7) and oleic (18:1n9) acids increased markedly, and linoleic acid (18:2n6) decreased in the plasma and in the adipose tissue of ethanol-fed rats with respect to control rats. After 3 months of ethanol ingestion, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids were reduced both in plasma and adipose tissue. When ethanol was administered for 5 months, only plasma long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series were decreased. This suggest that changes induced by ethanol ingestion in essential fatty acid metabolism is less pronounced when ethanol feeding is maintained for a long period of time.