Metabolic effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers in rats

To know the effect of individual conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers on lipid metabolism, male rats were fed diets containing either linoleic acid (LA, a control fatty acid), CLA containing mainly 9c, 11 t-isomer, 10t, 12c-isomer (at the 0.8% level) or an equivalent mixture of these isomers (at the 0.4% level) for 26 days. Although there were no differences in food intake and body weight gain among the groups, the food efficiency was low-in rats fed the CLA containing 10t,12c-isomer in comparison with those fed 9c,11t-CLA. The weight of white (epididymal and perirenal) adipose tissues decreased in all CLA groups, while that of brown adipose tissue increased in rats fed 10t,12c-CLA, the difference between 9c,11t- and 10t,12c-isomers being significant. The concentration of serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol and phospholipid tended to be lower in rats fed CLA preparations containing 10t, 12c-CLA, while there was a trend toward an increasing concentration of serum HDL-cholesterol in all CLA groups. The rate of fatty acid beta-oxidation in the liver peroxisomes was slightly higher in rats fed CLA than in those fed LA, and the activity of mitchondrial carnitine parmitoyltranceferase (CPT) in the CLA-mix group significantly increased compared to the LA group. The effect of CLA on the concentration of spleen and serum IgE, IgG and IgA level was variable. No CLA effect was observed on the concentration of serum leptin and TNF-alpha. Thus, individual isomers of CLA may have different effects on some metabolic parameters in rats. The results also suggested a probable interaction of different isomers on lipid metabolism. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.