Relative Amounts of Eicosanoid and Docosanoid Precursor Fatty Acids Are Positively Associated: A Distribution Dependent Regulation

Abstract

We recently reported a positive association between %EPA (20:5 n3) and %AA (20:4 n6) in muscle lipids of chickens. In the present work we investigate whether relative amounts of other fatty acids, which are precursors of eicosanoids and docosanoids, might also be positively correlated. The present results seem to verify this suggestion. Furthermore, the correlation outcome might be explained by the particular concentration distributions of the fatty acids under investigation. Thus, similar results were obtained using true values and substitute, random numbers for the fatty acids, sampled with the true ranges. Additionally, when we hypothetically altered distributions in computer experiments, we observed appreciable changes in the strength of the associations. Thus, there seems to be Distribution dependent positive associations between eicosanoid and docosanoid fatty acid precursor percentages, possibly serving to ensure that effects of important regulatory molecules in physiology will be balanced. We suggest that Distribution Dependent Correlations could be a novel evolutionary regulatory principle.