Effects of ethyl linoleate on chronic liver diseases with special reference to lipid metabolism.

The administration of purified ethyl Iinoleate supplemented With or without alpha-tocopherol or pyridoxal phosphate to chronically CCI4 poisoned mice proved to be effective upon recovery from the liver damage. CC14 poisoning resulted in a dramatic decrease in total lipid content of mouse liver in each diet group and administration of ethyl linoleate promoted this tendency. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of mouse liver lipids indicated that the administration of ethyl linoleate to CC14 poisoned mice did not show increase in percentage of linoleic acid and that the administration to normal controls showed a marked increase. On the contrast to the changes of linoleic acid, significant increases in percentages of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids were observed in CC14 poisoned mouse liver and the administration of ethyl linoleate stimulated this tendency. In clinical studies, after the administration of ethyl linoleate supplemented with or without alpha-tocopherol and pyridoxal phosphate to the patients with liver diseases, progressive clinical improvements accompanied by the satisfactory improvements in liver function tests were observed. The percentage of serum linoleic acid in these patients having lower percentage than normals increased to the normal level with a slight elevation of serum total lipids after the administration. No apprecialble effect of supplementation of alpha-tocopherol and pyridoxal phosphate upon fatty acid metabolism were observed in these patients. From these results, it is concluded that one can expect a satisfactory response to the administration of ethyllinoleate to the patients with chronic liver diseases.