Effects of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids on hepatic and vascular lipid deposits

Hepatic and vascular lipid deposits were produced in rats by a diet containing hydrogenated coconut oil plus cholesterol. The effects of different amounts of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids on these deposits were determined by histological examination and chemical analysis using silicic acid and gas-liquid chromatography. Marked regression of hepatic sterol esters and triglycerides was noted in the animals fed 5% or more of linoleate, but no effect on coronary lipid deposits was observed. When compared to a fat-free diet, oleate seemed to have no effect, whereas palmitate prevented the regression of hepatic sterol esters. The alterations in the fatty acid pattern of all the hepatic lipid fractions produced in animals by the cholesterol and coconut oil diet were reversed by 5% or more of dietary linoleate. There is suggestive evidence that linoleate induces increased synthesis of arachidonate. The latter fatty acid may then be incorporated into the structure of some phospholipids, which probably have a vital function in the transport of cholesterol and glycerides.