Incorporation of 14C-acetate into cerebral & hepatic lipids in preweanling rats during undernutrition
Shankar, R.; Katiyar, G.P.; Agrawal, K.N.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 13(6): 563-565
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5189 PMID: 1218927 Document Number: 95722
The incorporation of 14C-labelled acetate into cerebral and hepatic lipids was studied in albino (Charles Foster) rats. The mothers had free access to food and water, and nutritional stress was induced by withdrawing the young rats from the mother for 6 or 14 periods of 12 h. An injection of [14C]acetate was given 24 h before the rats were killed, after which brain and liver were homogenized in chloroform:methanol solution. Cholesterol and phospholipid estimations and radioactive counts were made. The rate of incorporation of [14C]acetate into the livers of undernourished rats was higher than that in controls, but there was practically no difference in the rate for cerebral lipids. Cholesterol and phospholipids in the brain were significantly less in the undernourished rats but cholesterol in the liver was increased, while liver phospholipid decreased. It is inferred that even during the most vulnerable period of cerebral development, undernourishment had only a slight effect on cerebral lipids, the rate of cerebral lipid biosynthesis being unaffected and the lipid deposition not much reduced.