Free Fatty Acid Composition of Human and Rat Peripheral Nerve

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Abstract
The free fatty acid (FFA) composition of human peripheral nerve resembles that of erythrocytes but the composition of both is different from that of brain and other tissues. Approximately 75% of FFA of nerve and erythrocytes are saturated and < 5% are polyunsaturated whereas in brain and other tissues, 30-45% of FFA are saturated and 25-50% are polyunsaturated. Approximately 10-15% of the total FFA of nerve have very long chain lengths (C24, C26, C28 and C30). The presence of these very long-chain FFA in endoneurium cannot be accounted for by the retention of erythrocytes or by lipid degradation. During Wallerian degeneration a significant increase of 18:1, associated with a decrease of saturated FFA, was found in rat sciatic endoneurium, but normal values were approached when fiber regeneration was well under way. The FFA composition with chain length .gtoreq. C26 were not significantly altered with degeneration or repair of nerves. The metabolic significance of this striking difference between nerve and brain FFA composition is unknown but may reflect different functional properties.