Repression of Pentose Phosphate Pathway Dehydrogenase Synthesis and mRNA by Dietary Fat in Rats

: We have studied the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid and its metabolism on the activity, relative synthesis and mRNA levels for rat hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD). Rats were meal-fed high carbohydrate diets containing either no fat, 5% safflower oil or 5% safflower oil + eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraynoic acid (TYA). Hepatocytes were isolated and used as a source of RNA, de novo radiolabeled protein and postmitochondrial supernatant for enzyme assay. Dietary safflower oil, as a source of linoleic acid, repressed G6PD activity, synthesis and mRNA levels two- to threefold without significantly changing the amount of carbohydrate consumed. Similar but smaller changes were observed for 6PGD. Dietary fat + TYA (an analogue of arachidonate that inhibits normal metabolism of linoleic acid) prevented the fat-dependent lowering of G6PD and 6PGD activity, synthesis and mRNA levels. Our results suggest that a metabolite of linoleic acid regulates the activity of two lipogenic enzymes, G6PD and 6PGD, by lowering gene expression or mRNA processing or stability.