Rapid cellular enrichment of eicosapentaenoate after a single intravenous injection of a novel medium-chain triacylglycerol:fish-oil emulsion in humans

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 91; no. 4; pp. 875 - 882
• Main Authors: Carpentier, Yvon A, Hacquebard, Mirjam, Portois, Laurence, Dupont, Isabelle E, Deckelbaum, Richard J, Malaisse, Willy J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01.04.2010; American Society for Nutrition; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adult; adults; adverse effects; alpha-tocopherol; alpha-Tocopherol - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood platelets; Blood Platelets - drug effects; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Cross-Over Studies; deficiency; Dietary Fats; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; dosage; Double-Blind Method; drug effects; eicosapentaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - blood; Fat Emulsions, Intravenous; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Essential; Fatty Acids, Essential - deficiency; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fish oils; Fish Oils - administration & dosage; Fish Oils - blood; Fish Oils - pharmacology; free fatty acids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Injections; Injections, Intravenous; intravenous injection; leukocytes; Leukocytes - drug effects; Leukocytes - metabolism; Lipids; Male; medium chain fatty acids; men; metabolism; Nutrition; omega-3 fatty acids; oral administration; Original Research Communications; pharmacokinetics; pharmacology; phospholipids; Phospholipids - metabolism; Plasma; polyunsaturated fatty acids; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - administration & dosage; Triglycerides - blood; Triglycerides - pharmacology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Enrichment; Human; Emulsion; Intravenous administration; Triacylglycerol; Single dose; Medium chain; Fish oil
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.27951

BACKGROUND: Dietary deficiency in n-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevails in Western populations and potentially results in adverse health outcomes. To circumvent the slow n-3 PUFA incorporation in phospholipids of key cells after oral supplementation, a new preparation for intravenous bolus injection was developed with 20 g triacylglycerols/100 mL of a mixture of 80% medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCTs) and 20% fish oil (FO) (wt:wt), and 0.4 g α-tocopherol/100 mL of the same mixture. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to document the enrichment of n-3 PUFAs in leukocyte and platelet phospholipids after a bolus intravenous injection of MCT:FO in men. DESIGN: Twelve healthy male subjects received injections over a 5-min period of 50 mL of either MCT:FO or a control MCT:long-chain triacylglycerol (MCT:LCT) emulsion containing 20 g triacylglycerols/100 mL with equal amounts (wt:wt) of MCT and soybean triacylglycerols (LCT) and containing 0.02 g α-tocopherol/100 mL; after an 8-wk interval, the subjects received injections of the other preparation. RESULTS: Clinical and biological variables that assessed tolerance and safety remained unchanged. Plasma elimination was faster for MCT:FO than for MCT:LCT (half-life: 24.5 ± 3.5 min compared with 32.9 ± 3.0 min; P < 0.025). This was associated with a greater increase in the plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration. The content of n-3 PUFAs, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), increased in leukocyte and platelet phospholipids within 60 min and ≥24 h after MCT:FO injection. CONCLUSION: Bolus intravenous injection of a novel MCT:FO emulsion allows rapid enrichment of cells with n-3 PUFAs.