Cellular fatty acid uptake: Quantity prior quality

The type and amount of fatty acids uptaken by cells are of vital importance for health. In this study we investigated fatty acid uptake by cells in context with fatty acid supplementation. Due to cell incubation the concentration of fatty acids in the culture medium was dwindled, as expected. We observed that fatty acids prominent in the culture medium were diminished to a much greater extent than fatty acids contained in the medium in marginal amounts. The supplemented fatty acids were incorporated into the cells regardless of the type of fatty acid added. Beyond that, fatty acids from the n3 and the n6 family were metabolized, resulting in an increase of their desaturation and elongation products. The supplementation of the culture medium with a special fatty acid did not affect the incorporation rates of the remaining fatty acids contained in the culture medium. Thus, an increased supply of unsaturated fatty acids is not sufficient to lessen the uptake of saturated fatty acids by cells