Serum Cholesterol Response in Man to Oral Ingestion of Arachidonic Acid

Abstract

In a rigidly controlled experiment with the subjects on a constant diet of two alternating daily menus, six middle-aged men ingested capsules containing a concentrate of arachidonic acid or, during control periods, of oleic acid. Three other men, matched in age and other characteristics with those in the experimental group, subsisted on the same diet but ingested only oleic acid capsules. The arachidonic acid dosage was 4 to 5 g per man per day for 11 days. The concentration of total cholesterol in the blood serum showed no significant change during the first few days of supplementation with arachidonic acid but thereafter it tended to rise, and it remained elevated for several weeks following the withdrawal of the arachidonic acid supplement before returning to approximately the presupplement level. The changes in the serum total cholesterol concentraticn were accounted for by changes in the cholesterol in the beta lipoprotein fraction of the serum. The significance of these findings is discussed.