ω-6 Fatty Acids
ω-6 Fatty Acids Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.
ω-6 Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids with a final carbon-carbon double bond in the n-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from the methyl end. They are a family of fatty acid molecules that act as precursors to potent lipid mediator signalling molecules with either pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Cells involved in the inflammatory response are typically rich in the n-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, as generally, eicosanoids derived from n-6 PUFA are pro-inflammatory. Arachidonic acid, which is a main precursor of eicosanoids, is an example of omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids. Vegetable oil is a major dietary sources of omega-6 fatty acids.
ω-6 Fatty Acids mediate pro-inflammatory effects in the cellular level and compete for the same rate-limiting enzymes with omega-3 fatty acids. Arachidonic acid is converted to inflammatory mediators such as omega-6 prostaglandins and leukotriene eicosanoids during the inflammatory cascade. AA-derived eicosanoids are proinflammatory but they have important homeostatic functions in regulating both the promotion and resolution of inflammation in the immune response. It is reported that high intake of n-6 PUFA, along with low intakes of n-3 PUFA, shifts the physiological state to one that is proinflammatory and prothrombotic with increases in vasospasm, vasoconstriction, and blood viscosity and the development of diseases associated with these conditions. Thus maintaining the balance between 2 polyunsaturated fatty acids is critical in inflammatory cascade regulation.
| Trade Name | ω-6 Fatty Acids |
| Generic | Omega-6 fatty acids |
| Omega-6 fatty acids Other Names | n-6 fatty acids, Omega 6 acids, Omega 6 fatty acids, ω-6 fatty acids |
| Type | |
| Groups | Nutraceutical |
| Therapeutic Class | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Available Country | |
| Last Updated: | September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am |
Uses
There are no current pharmacotherapeutic products based on omega-6 fatty acids.
How ω-6 Fatty Acids works
Linoleic acid is the simplest omega-6 fatty acid that can generate longer n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosanoids, endocannabinoids and lipoxins by the insertion of additional double bonds during consecutive elongation and desaturation mechanisms. It gives rise to arachidonic acid (AA) via γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA, 20:3n-6) and the same set of enzymes can also convert AA to EPA and DHA. The initial rate limiting desaturation of LA to GLA is catalysed by the enzyme delta-6-desaturase (FADS2) and elongation of GLA to DGLA by delta-5-desaturase (FADS1) generates AA . AA is also converted to 2-series prostaglandins (PGD2, PGE2, PGF2, PGI2) andthromboxanes (TXA2, TXB2) by COX-2 activity and 4-series leukotrienes (LTA4, LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, LTE4) by 5-LOX activity. Resulting lipid signalling molecules have various pro-inflammatory effects on target tissues and cells; bronchostriction, fever, pain, increased production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6, platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction, vascular permeability, chemotaxis of leukocytes, and release of reactive oxygen species by granulocytes . ω-6 Fatty Acids activate PPAR to the less extent than omega-3 fatty acids, but a study involving human keratinocytes showed induction of COX-2 expression resulting from PPAR-alpha activation. ω-6 Fatty Acids are also reported to directly activate syntaxin-3, a plasma protein membrane that regulates vesicle transport and growth of neurites .
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