Greater oxidation of dietary linoleate compared to palmitate in humans following an acute high-carbohydrate diet

Abstract

Background

We have previously demonstrated that dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA), when compared to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are preferentially partitioned into oxidation pathways. However, it remains unclear if this preferential handling is maintained when hepatocellular metabolism is shifted toward fatty acid (FA) esterification and away from oxidation, such as when hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is upregulated.

Aim

To investigate whether an acute upregulation of hepatic DNL influences dietary FA partitioning into oxidation pathways.

Methods

20 healthy volunteers (11 females) underwent a fasting baseline visit followed by two study days, 2-weeks apart. Prior to each study day, participants consumed an isocaloric high-carbohydrate diet (to upregulate hepatic DNL) for 3-days. On the two study days, participants consumed an identical standardised test meal that contained either [U¹³C]palmitate or [U¹³C]linoleate, in random order, to trace the fate of dietary FA. Blood and breath samples were collected over a 6h postprandial period and ¹³C enrichment in breath CO₂ and plasma lipid fractions were measured using gas-chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Results

Compared to the baseline visit, fasting plasma triglyceride concentrations and markers of hepatic DNL, the lipogenic and stearyl-CoA desaturase indices, were significantly (p < 0.05) increased after consumption of the high-carbohydrate diet. Appearance of ¹³C in expired CO₂ and tracer recovery were significantly (p < 0.05) higher after consumption of the meal containing [U¹³C]linoleate compared to [U¹³C]palmitate (5.1 ± 0.5% vs. 3.7 ± 0.4%), respectively. Incorporation of ¹³C into the plasma triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acid pool was significantly (p < 0.001) greater for [U¹³C]palmitate compared to [U¹³C]linoleate.

Conclusion

Dietary PUFA compared to SFA appear to be preferentially partitioned into oxidation pathways during an acute upregulation of hepatic DNL, thus consumption of a PUFA-enriched diet may help mitigate intrahepatic triglyceride accumulation in individuals at risk of cardiometabolic disease.