抄録
The effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) on essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient rats were studied. After low growth and scaly dermatitis in the hind legs due to dietary EFA deficiency were induced by feeding rats an EFA-free 25% casein diet (25C) containing 30% hydrogenated coconut oil with 1% cholesterol (HCO•CHOL) for 8 weeks, they received the 25C diet with 0.19 or 0.57% EPA ethyl ester concentrate added, or 0.02% or 0.38% linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) concentrate (Exp. I), and the HCO CHOL meal including any one of 0.25, 0.50, or 1.00% EPA concentrate, and 0.12 and 0.48% LA concentrate (Exp. II) for an additional 6 weeks. When EFA-deficient rats were fed the EPA in both experiments, body weight was gained to almost reach those of the 0.38 or 0.48% LA-fed group (control), and the dermal symptoms of the hind legs were relieved, though the degree of healing was less than those of the controls. The ratios of eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n-9) to arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) characteristically increased due to EFA deficiency were reduced to the level of the control in the liver and heart by addition of the EPA concentrate.
