Dietary lipids modify the fatty acid composition of cartilage, isolated chondrocytes and matrix vesicles.

The effects of dietary lipids on the fatty acid composition of hyaline cartilage, epiphyseal chondrocytes (EC) and matrix vesicles (MV) were evaluated in chicks. A basal semipurified diet was fed to chicks containing one of the following lipid sources at 70 g/kg: soybean oil, butter+corn oil, margarine+corn oil or menhaden oil+corn oil (MEC). Articular and epiphyseal growth cartilage were isolated from the proximal tibiotarsus; EC and MV were subsequently released by trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and collagenase (EC 3.4.24.3) digestion followed by ultracentrifugation. The fatty acid composition of polar lipids in chick epiphyseal cartilage at three and six weeks, as well as articular cartilage, EC and MV at eight weeks of age revealed the presence of high levels of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (up to 85.5%) but low levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (2.6-10.2%). Mead acid (20:3n-9, > 3%) was also present in cartilage, EC and MV lipids, and was unaffected by the dietary lipid treatments. Total n-3 PUFA concentrations were the highest in cartilage, EC and MV of chicks consuming MEC. Feeding MEC lowered the levels of 20:4n-6 in cartilage, but increased 20:5n-3 levels. The data are consistent with those reported previously which showed that cartilage tissues are low in n-6 PUFA and that they contain 20:3n-9. We furthermore demonstrated that the PUFA composition of cartilage can be modified by dietary lipids.