The fatty acid composition of triglycerides in arteries, depot fat and serum of amputated diabetics.

The triglyceride fatty acid pattern (TFAP) in arterial wall, adipose tissue and serum in vivo has been estimated in amputated diabetic subjects by gas-liquid chromatography simultaneously. Besides, in some probands the fatty acid pattern of cholesterol esters of vessel walls has been obtained. In arterial wall the percental content of lauric, myristic, myristoleic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic and linolenic acid was high and that of palmitic and linoleic acid was low, when compared to serum, whereas eicosatrienoic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid were of similar magnitude. In comparison to adipose tissue myristic, palmitic and nervonic acid were decreased and eicosatrienoic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid were increased in arterial wall. In view of the results the speculation is obvious that certain fatty acids have distinct metabolic positions in several tissues, such as depot fatty acids and precursors of prostaglandins, for example.