BACKGROUND: The role of fatty acids (FA) in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia is a subject of intensive research. Several recent works have suggested cis-vaccenic acid (cVA) in plasma lipid compartments, especially in plasma phospholipids (PL) or erythrocyte membranes, could be associated with markers of insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health. Nevertheless, not all the results of research work testify to these beneficial effects of cVA. Therefore, we decided to investigate the relations of proportion of cVA in plasma PL to markers of insulin resistance in hyperlipidemic men. SUBJECTS: In 231 men (median age 50) with newly diagnosed hyperlipidemia, we analyzed basic clinical parameters together with FA composition of plasma PL and stratified them according to the content of cVA into upper quartile (Q4) and lower quartile (Q1) groups. We examined also small control group of 50 healthy men. RESULTS: The individuals in Q4 differed from Q1 by lower plasma insulin (p < 0.05), HOMA-IR values (p < 0.01), and apolipoprotein B concentrations (p < 0.001), but by the higher total level of nonesterified FA (p < 0.01). Both groups had similar age, anthropometrical, and other lipid parameters. In plasma PL, the Q4 group had lower content of the sum of n-6 polyunsaturated FA, due to decrease of γ-linolenic and dihomo-γ-linolenic acids, whereas the content of monounsaturated FA (mainly oleic and palmitoleic) was in Q4 higher. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support hypothesis that plasma PL cVA could be associated with insulin sensitivity in men with hyperlipidemia.

• MeSH
• Apolipoproteins B blood   MeSH
• Biomarkers * blood   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Phospholipids * blood   MeSH
• Hyperlipidemias * blood   MeSH
• Insulin blood   MeSH
• Insulin Resistance * MeSH
• Oleic Acids * blood   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Apolipoproteins B MeSH
• Biomarkers * MeSH
• cis-vaccenic acid MeSH Browser
• Phospholipids * MeSH
• Insulin MeSH
• Oleic Acids * MeSH

BACKGROUND Abnormal metabolism of fatty acids (FA) is considered to play a role in human cancers, including esophageal cancer (EC). Nevertheless, there have been only a few studies dealing with the influence of the chemotherapy or radiotherapy on the plasma FA profiles. In this work we compared FA in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) of the patients with squamous EC and healthy subjects and investigated changes in the FA spectrum during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-two men with squamous EC were compared with age-matched healthy controls. The EC group was subjected to concurrent neoadjuvant CRT. We analyzed FA in plasma PC before and after CRT. RESULTS The EC group was characterized by increased levels of both saturated and monounsaturated FA, associated with an increased index of SCD1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1). Moreover, decreased levels of linoleic acid and total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) n-6 were found in EC patients. The CRT was accompanied by increased docosahexaenoic acid and total PUFA n-3 content in plasma PC, concurrently with the decrease of estimated activity of SCD1. CONCLUSIONS We found that patients with EC had altered FA profile in plasma PC, which could be related to abnormal FA metabolism in cancer (e.g., altered synthesis de novo, b-oxidation, desaturation, and elongation). The described changes in FA profiles during CRT could be involved in favorable functioning of CRT. Further studies investigating the plasma FA compositions and their changes due to CRT in EC patients are warranted.

• MeSH
• Chemoradiotherapy MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Phosphatidylcholines blood   MeSH
• Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated blood   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Fatty Acids blood   MeSH
• Lipid Metabolism physiology   MeSH
• Esophageal Neoplasms blood   drug therapy   radiotherapy   therapy   MeSH
• Neoadjuvant Therapy MeSH
• Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma MeSH
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell blood   drug therapy   radiotherapy   therapy   MeSH
• Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase metabolism   MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Phosphatidylcholines MeSH
• Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated MeSH
• Fatty Acids MeSH
• Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase MeSH