Consuming a Linoleate-Rich Diet Increases Concentrations of Tetralinoleoyl Cardiolipin in Mouse Liver and Alters Hepatic Mitochondrial Respiration.

Background: Hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction is a major cause of fat accumulation in the liver. Individuals with fatty liver conditions have hepatic mitochondrial structural abnormalities and a switch in the side chain composition of the mitochondrial phospholipid, cardiolipin, from poly- to monounsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid (LA), an essential dietary fatty acid, is required to remodel nascent cardiolipin (CL) to its tetralinoleoyl cardiolipin (LCL, CL with 4 LA side chains) form, which is integral for mitochondrial membrane structure and function to promote fatty acid oxidation. It is unknown, however, whether increasing LA in the diet can increase hepatic LCL concentrations and improve mitochondrial respiration in the liver compared with a diet rich in monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to test the ability of a diet fortified with LA-rich safflower oil (SO), compared with the one fortified with lard (LD), to increase concentrations of LCL and improve mitochondrial respiration in the livers of mice.

Methods: Twenty-four (9-wk-old) C57 BL/J6 male mice were fed either the SO or LD diets for ∼100 d, whereas food intake and body weight, fasting glucose, and glucose tolerance tests were performed to determine any changes in glycemic control.

Results: Livers from mice fed SO diet had higher relative concentrations of hepatic LCL species compared with LD diet-fed mice (P value = 0.004). Uncoupled mitochondria of mice fed the SO diet, compared with LD diet, had an increased baseline oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and succinate-driven respiration (P values = 0.03 and 0.01). SO diet-fed mice had increased LA content in all phospholipid classes compared with LD-fed mice (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Our findings reveal that maintaining or increasing hepatic LCL may result in increased OCR in uncoupled hepatic mitochondria in healthy mice whereas higher oleate content of CL reduced mitochondrial function shown by lower OCR in uncoupled mitochondria.