SYNTHESES OF 13C-LABELED POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

A NUMBER OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA) ARE EITHER ESSENTIAL FOR A NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY OR POTENTIAL PROPHYLACTIC/THERAPEUTIC AGENTS FOR ATHEROSCLEROSIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, CARCINOGENESIS, TYPE I DIABETES, PREMATURE BIRTH AND LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT, AND ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CNS AND VISUAL ACUITY IN NEWBORNS. 13C-LABELED PUFA ARE OF INTEREST FOR METABOLIC AND IN VIVO 13C NMR STUDIES, AND CLINICAL 13CO2 BREATH TEST FOR FAT MALABSORPTION. IN PHASE I, WE WILL SYNTHESIZE SOME KEY LABELED INTERMEDIATES, INCLUDING PROPARGYL-1,3-13C2 AND PROPARGYL-2-13C ALCOHOLS, THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF PUFA 13C-LABELED AT ALTERNATING CARBONS. PHASE II MAY COMPLETE THE SYNTHESES OF THE LABELED INTERMEDIATES AND ASSEMBLE THEM FOLLOWING GENERALLY KNOWN METHODOLOGIES TO PRODUCE THE LABELED PUFA.