Summary
Some correlations between plasma and platelet fatty acids (FA) were evaluated “ex
vivo” in 94 normal subjects.
The highest relationships between total FA from plasma and platelets were found for
18:1 (r = 0.74) and 18:2 (r = 0.67). Low correlations were obtained for free fatty
acids (FFA). The most significant correlations between fatty acids esterifying plasma
and platelet phospholipids were found for the 18:1 (r = 0.66); 18:2 (r = 0.74) and
20:5 (r = 0.66).
Our results suggest that the platelet phospholipid FA could be more easily modified
by plasma variation in the FA composition of phospholipids than by variations in the
plasma FA composition of the FFA fraction. In addition, the incorporation of FA from
plasma into the platelet phospholipids “in vivo” may take place through an acylation-deacylation
process and also by the incorporation of whole plasma phospholipid molecules into
the platelets, probably through an exchange of plasma lipoproteins and platelets.
Finally, arachidonic acid seems to have a different and selective way of incorporation
into platelet phospholipids.
Key words
Platelets - Fatty acids - Phospholipids - Plasma fatty acids
