Essential fatty acid deficiency in rats: effects on arachidonate metabolism, generation of cyclooxygenase products and functional responses in neutrophils.

Linoleic and arachidonic acid concentrations in neutrophils from rats maintained on a diet with only 0.3% of the energy content as essential fatty acid (EFA, EFAD group) were reduced by 70 +/- 2.2% and 34.8 +/- 5.2%, respectively, compared with controls fed a diet with a normal 3% EFA content. Neutrophil chemiluminescence and aggregation induced by f-Met-Leu-Phe was substantially reduced in the EFAD group. Production of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and thromboxane B2 were significantly lower in the EFAD neutrophils when stimulated by the ionophore A23187, whereas there was no difference when leukotriene B4 was used as stimulus.