Recent advances in the biology of n-6 fatty acids

The intensive research carried out in the last 10 years on the unique biological functions of n-3 fatty acids (FA), has promoted comparative investigations on various aspects (metabolic, functional) of the biology of n-6 FA. The involvement of peroxisomes in fatty acid metabolism, initially described for the n-3 acids, has now been shown also for the n-6 FA (formation of 22 carbon delta 4 unsaturated FA, formation of newly identified products of beta-oxidation of arachidonic acid, AA). Additional pathways of AA conversion, beyond the classical eicosanoids, give rise to a series of biologically active products, such as the epoxides, involved in the modulation of vascular functions, through the cytochrome p450 system, and to the AA-ethanolamide, anandamide, an endogenous ligand of the cannabinoid receptors, through a phospholipase-mediated process. Finally, nonenzymatic oxidation products of AA, the isoprostanes, isomers of prostaglandins, also endowed of potent biological activities, are generated both in in vitro-induced lipid oxidation and in vivo, being considered as reliable markers of in vivo oxidative stress. As to the nutritional aspects of the n-6 FA, attention is now paid to the intake of preformed long-chain polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in the n-6 series, mainly AA, through the diet, in analogy with the intake of the long-chain n-3 FA, in fish-eating populations. The importance of the dietary intake of preformed AA is now recognized in newborns, through maternal milk. The ranges of the intakes of AA in population groups, not currently adequately estimated, appear to be wider than generally assumed, and the elevated intakes in some population groups, in the order of several hundred milligrams per day, may be partly responsible of yet unexplored population-based differences in physiologic variables. Recent research on the functional effects of n-6 FA has confirmed their lipid-lowering effects, which can be observed also in neonates, and has shown that, in cooperation with the n-3, they directly and indirectly contribute to modulate functional parameters at the cellular level, such as receptor function, ion channels, and gene expression. From a nutritional point of view, it is clear that PUFA represent the biologically most active component of dietary fat, and the n-6 are quantitatively the most relevant fraction in our diet. In the light of the diversified activities of n-6 and n-3 PUFA, a correct balance between the various fatty acids is recommended.