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Disturbance in uniformly 13C-labelled DHA metabolism in elderly human subjects carrying the apoE ε4 allele.
R. Chouinard-Watkins, C. Rioux-Perreault, M. Fortier, J. Tremblay-Mercier, Y. Zhang, P. Lawrence, MC. Vohl, P. Perron, D. Lorrain, JT. Brenna, SC. Cunnane, M. Plourde
Br. J. Nutr. 2013 Nov;110(10):1751-9.
PubMed: 23631810
Abstract
Carrying the apoE ε4 allele (E4+ ) is the most important genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike non-carriers (E4- ), E4+ seem not to be protected against Alzheimer's disease when consuming fish. We hypothesised that this may be linked to a disturbance in n-3 DHA metabolism in E4+. The aim of the present study was to evaluate [13C]DHA metabolism over 28 d in E4+ v. E4-. A total of forty participants (twenty-six women and fourteen men) received a single oral dose of 40 mg [13C]DHA, and its metabolism was monitored in blood and breath over 28 d. Of the participants, six were E4+ and thirty-four were E4-. In E4+, mean plasma [13C]DHA was 31% lower than that in E4-, and cumulative b-oxidation of [13C]DHA was higher than that in E4- 1–28 d post-dose (P ≤0·05). A genotype x time interaction was detected for cumulative b-oxidation of [13C]DHA (P ≤ 0·01). The whole-body half-life of [13C]DHA was 77% lower in E4+ compared with E4- (P ≤0·01). In E4+ and E4-, the percentage dose of [13C]DHA recovered/h as 13CO2 correlated with [13C]DHA concentration in plasma, but the slope of linear regression was 117% steeper in E4+ compared with E4- (P ≤ 0·05). These results indicate that DHA metabolism is disturbed in E4+, and may help explain why there is no association between DHA levels in plasma and cognition in E4+. However, whether E4+ disturbs the metabolism of 13C-labelled fatty acids other than DHA cannot be deduced from the present study.
Associated compounds:
Compound Name
with link to compound page |
Structure | Number of references |
---|---|---|
Docosahexaenoic acid | 18 |