Effect of maternal essential fatty acid supply on fatty acid composition of brain, liver, muscle and serum in 21-day-old rats
Alling, C.; Bruce, A.; Karlsson, I.; Sapia, O.; Svennerholm, L.
Journal of Nutrition 102(6): 773-782
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 5028672 Document Number: 54906
Two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were fed on diets containing equal amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate, with high (4.78 cal% of linoleate + linolenate) or low (0.74 cal% of linoleate + linolenate) essential fatty acid (EFA) content. The rats were given the diets for more than 2 generations. The effects of the EFA content during gestation and lactation on lipid and fatty acid composition of the brain, liver and muscle were studied in the offspring. The bodyweight was lower in the low EFA group. Brain weight and the concentrations of proteins and lipids were identical in the 2 groups except that the concentration of cerebrosides was lower in the low EFA group. The fatty acid composition of brain lecithins, ethanolamine phosphoglycerides and total lipids was similar in the 2 groups; there were persistently and significantly higher concentrations of 20:3(n-9) and 22:5(n-6) in the low EFA group. Lecithin in liver, muscle and serum had notably lower concentrations of the fatty acids of the linoleic and linolenic series in the low EFA group, while 18:1 and 20:3(n-9) were proportionally higher. The fatty acid composition of triglycerides in adipose tissue and liver reflected fatty acid composition of the maternal diets.