[Study of the metabolism of fatty acids and total plasma lipids, and platelet aggregation of a population of elderly men using a diet enriched in gamma-linolenic acid].

33 healthy men, 72 years old on average, ingested during five week: 2,4 g of Oenothera Biennis oil rich in PUFA. Before and after ingestion, platelet aggregation was measured according to the Born's photometric method, which divided the original group into two classes: "15" normal subjects (NAG) and "18" hyperagregated (HAG). The fatty acids contained in the serum were analysed by GLC. NAG liquid pattern did not show any difference after oil ingestion, as in HAG group, significant modifications were observed in palmitoleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acid series. These observations probably correspond to a fundamental behavior difference, which might be related to desaturase activity reduction. Such a phenomenon would appear with ageing in some subjects. If this hypothesis is confirmed, the inclusion of the two methods of investigation described above would constitute a good approach for studying the enzymatic system activity in ageing.