IX. PHARMACOLOGY 311 



were between 250 and 325 in thirty-three subjects, and both children and 

 aduhs in this group were considered to be in a good state of nutrition. The 

 EWn. vahies at 3000 A. (tetraene fatty acids) ranged from 30 to 76. In con- 

 trast, in a group of eighteen infants and children who were markedly under- 

 weight and malnourished in appearance, the El'^'em. values at 2350 A. varied 

 from 90 to 170 and at 3000 A. from 15 to 42. These subjects were suffering 

 from cystic fibrosis of the pancreas or celiac disease, or had been on notor- 

 iously inadeciuate diets. In the remaining one-third of the subjects studied, 

 intermediate values both for serum diene and tetraene fatty acids were ob- 

 served. In general, the clinical appearance suggested (luite a good state of 

 nutrition in all these children. The disorders among these included celiac 

 disease, eczema, cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, healed osteomyelitis, tuber- 

 culosis meningitis, laryngeal obstruction, mental retardation, lymphatic 

 leukemia, and rheumatic heart disease. The relative proportion of triene 

 fatty acids was extremely low in all three groups of subjects studied. 

 a. Summarij 



Spectrographic analysis of the serum fatty acids of human subjects indi- 

 cates that the content of diene and tetraene fatty acids varies with the 

 nutritional status of the individual. The proportion of two, three, and four 

 double-bond fatty acids of the total fatty acids in a group of thirty-three 

 well-nourished adults and children averaged 27.8, 1.3, and 12.7%, respec- 

 tively. In a group of eighteen subjects in poor nutritional state, these values, 

 were 10.5, 2.5, and 7.5%, respectively. 



5. Summary of Effects of Deficiency 



Human beings appear not to synthesize fatty acids with two and four 

 double bonds (linoleic and arachidonic acid) sufficient to maintain high 

 blood serum levels. There is a possibility that poor nutritional status and 

 susceptibility to dermatitis, skin infections, and respiratory infections may 

 be related to an inadequacy of dietary fat containing essential fatty acids. 

 No data whatsoever are available to indicate the magnitude of the human 

 requirement for linoleic and arachidonic acids. 



IX. Pharmacology 



ARILD E. HANSEN and GEORGE A. EMERSON 



A. CHEMICAL ASPECTS 



Progress in basic chemical knowledge has aided in clearer interpretation 

 of biological phenomena in relation to essential fatty acids. The linoleic 



