Patients with anorexia nervosa demonstrate deficiencies of selected essential fatty acids, compensatory changes in nonessential fatty acids and decreased fluidity of plasma lipids

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 125; no. 4; pp. 901 - 907
• Main Authors: Holman, R.T. (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.), Adams, C.E, Nelson, R.A, Grater, S.J.E, Jaskiewicz, J.A, Johnson, S.B, Erdman, J.W. Jr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutritional Sciences 01.04.1995; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: ACIDE GRAS; ACIDE GRAS POLYINSATURE; ACIDE GRAS SATURE; ACIDOS GRASOS; ACIDOS GRASOS POLIINSATURADOS; ACIDOS GRASOS SATURADOS; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; ADULTE; ADULTOS; Anorexia; Anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; CARENCE EN SUBSTANCE NUTRITIVE; CHOLESTEROL; Cholesterol Esters - blood; Chromatography, Gas; COLESTEROL; CORPS GRAS; DEFICIENCIAS NUTRITIVAS; Eating behavior disorders; ESTADO NUTRICIONAL; ESTER; ESTERES; ESTRUCTURA CELULAR; ETAT NUTRITIONNEL; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Essential - blood; Fatty Acids, Essential - deficiency; Fatty Acids, Essential - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; FEMME; FOSFOLIPIDOS; GRASAS; HEMOLIPIDOS; Humans; LIPIDE SANGUIN; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Medical sciences; Membrane Fluidity - physiology; MUJERES; Nutrition; Oils & fats; PHOSPHATIDE; Phospholipids - blood; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; POINT DE FUSION; PROPIEDADES MECANICAS; PROPRIETE MECANIQUE; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; PUNTO DE FUSION; STRUCTURE CELLULAIRE; TRASTORNOS ALIMENTICIOS; TRIGLICERIDOS; TRIGLYCERIDE; Triglycerides - blood; TROUBLE ALIMENTAIRE; Human; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Phospholipid; Lipids; Anorexia nervosa; Metabolism; Eating disorder; Fatty acids; Essential; Blood plasma; Lipemia; Fluidity; Young adult; Woman
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100

The objective of this study was to assess the essential fatty acid status of patients with anorexia nervosa. Blood was collected from eight fasting female anorexia nervosa patients with a mean of 81% ideal body weight. Fatty acid composition of phospholipids, nonesterified fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesteryl esters of plasma were determined by capillary gas chromatography to indicate polyunsaturated fatty acids status compared with 19 healthy female adults 25 y old. Subjects with anorexia nervosa showed polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiencies in plasma phospholipids different from simple nutritional essential fatty acid deficiency or chronic malnutrition. The phospholipid profile showed significantly lower (n-6) and (n-3) elongation and desaturation products, and elevated short-chain saturated, short-chain monounsaturated, branched-chain and odd-chain fatty acids. These elevations indicate enhancement of biosynthesis of alternative fatty acids that only partially compensated for the loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids in providing membrane "fluidity." Calculated mean melting point of the fatty acids of phospholipids in patients with anorexia nervosa was elevated 7.7 degrees C above normal values. These results demonstrate that patients with anorexia nervosa have deficiencies of selected essential fatty acids, compensatory changes in nonessential fatty acids and decreased fluidity of plasma lipids