Safflower (n-6) and flaxseed (n-3) high-fat diets differentially regulate hypothalamic fatty acid profiles, gene expression, and insulin signalling

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have important signalling roles in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates whole-body energy homeostasis. While evidence suggests that high PUFA intake can impact hypothalamic activity, the underlying molecular mechanisms regulated by essential dietary n-6 and n-3 PUFA (i.e., linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, respectively) remain poorly described in this brain region. To differentiate the roles of essential dietary PUFA on hypothalamic function, we fed male rats high-fat diets (35% kcal/d) containing either safflower (linoleic acid) or flaxseed (α-linolenic acid) oil for 2 months. Control rats were fed a low-fat (16% kcal/d) diet containing soybean oil. Hypothalamic fatty acids and gene expression were investigated by gas chromatography and microarray, respectively. Safflower-fed rats had higher total n-6 PUFA content due to increases in linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and osbond acid compared to the other diet groups, while flaxseed-fed rats had higher total n-3 content due to increases in α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Safflower-fed rats showed augmented expression of genes related to hypothalamic insulin signalling compared to controls. This was mirrored by significant increases in phosphorylated AKTthr308 and AKTser473 levels; indicative of increased PI(3)K/AKT pathway activity. These changes were not observed in the hypothalamus of flaxseed-fed rats. Our findings provide new molecular insights into how essential fatty acids influence the hypothalamus and, potentially, whole-body energy homeostasis. This work also provides new knowledge to better understand the impact of essential fatty acids on metabolic and behavioral phenotypes.