1. Relationship of Δ(6) -desaturase and Δ(5) -desaturase activities with thyroid hormone status in adolescents with eating disorders and weight loss.
- Author
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Swenne I and Vessby B
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase, Fatty Acid Desaturases blood, Fatty Acid Desaturases chemistry, Feeding and Eating Disorders blood, Female, Humans, Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase blood, Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase chemistry, Male, Sweden, Fatty Acid Desaturases metabolism, Feeding and Eating Disorders metabolism, Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase metabolism, Triiodothyronine blood, Weight Loss physiology
- Abstract
Aim: In starvation, there is down-regulation of metabolism and changes in essential fatty acid (FA) status, which could be related to alterations of desaturase activities. Presently, the relationship between thyroid hormones and desaturase activities has been investigated in adolescents with eating disorders and weight loss., Methods: Serum triiodothyronine concentrations and proportions of polyunsaturated FA in plasma phospholipids were analysed in blood samples from 227 adolescents with ED. Δ(6) -desaturase (D6D) activity was calculated as the FA ratio 20:3ω6/18:2ω6 and Δ(5) -desaturase (D5D) activity as the ratio 20:4ω6/20:3ω6., Results: Serum triiodothyronine concentrations were related to leanness and ongoing weight loss. The estimated D6D activity was positively correlated with serum triiodothyronine (R(2) = 0.232; p < 0.001). D5D activity exhibited a strong inverse correlation with serum triiodothyronine (R(2) = 0.410; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Changes in desaturase activities during starvation cannot be explained by inhibition/disinhibition by essential FA only. It is possible that the effects of starvation on these enzyme activities, and hence on essential FA status, are mediated by triiodothyronine., (©2013 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)
- Published
- 2013
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