1998 Volume 49 Issue 8 Pages 859-864
An excessive amount of α-linolenic acid or excessive amounts of both α-linolenic acid and iron (II) were given to normal mice and to Ehrlich's ascites tumor-bearing mice to investigate the fatty acid composition of the serum and the tumor cells. When mice were given an excessive amount of α-linolenic acid or of both α-linolenic acid and iron (II), the level of AA as a percentage of total fatty acids in the serum decreased. The levels of EPA and EPA/AA were increased in the serum of Ehrlich's ascites tumor-bearing mice by the supplement of α-linolenic acid or of both α-linolenic acid and iron (II). The serum AA level and DHA/AA ratio were increased in the serum of tumor-bearing mice by the supplement of α-linoleic acid alone or of both α-linolenic acid and iron (II). The level of DHA in the serum of normal mice fed on an excessive amount of α-linolenic acid or of both an excessive amount of α-linoleic acid and iron (II) remained almost unchanged.
