The fatty acids of the human cerebrospinal fluid: their relation to the serum fatty acids

Abstract

Some 20 different fatty acids were identified in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 11 normal persons. There were also a number of unidentified substances which included unsaturated long chain fatty acids and dimethylacetals coming from trioxanes and probably other alde-hydogenic compounds. The study shows that the fatty acids of the cerebrospinal fluid and serum are qualitatively similar. Quantitative differences were found in the following fatty acids which showed higher concentrations in the lipids of the cerebrospinal fluid: C14, C14;1, C15, C15.1, C16:1, C17, C17.1 and unsaturated long chain fatty acids (C20 and over). The concentrations of Cl8:l, C18:2, and C 20.4 were decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid lipids as compared with those of the serum. The most striking difference was found in the linoleic acid which represented 24% of the total serum fatty acids and only 4% of the spinal fluid fatty acids. The biologic significance of these differences is not clear and will require further investigation.