title: Modification of fatty acid composition of rat heart lipids by feeding cod liver oil.
abstract: Modification of the fatty acid composition of cardiac phospholipids and neutral lipids was studied in rats fed a diet containing 10% cod liver oil. The results reflect the dynamic state of esterified fatty acids in neutral lipids and phospholipids of heart muscle. In cardiac neutral lipids there was a moderate but significant increase in exogenous fatty acids, 20:1(n--9), 22:1(n--11), 20:5(n--3) and 22:6(n--3), in animals fed cod liver oil, and a relative decrease in endogenous fatty acids, 16:0, 18:2(n--6 and 20:4(n--6). Increased dietary availability of 22: 6(n--3) resulted in a major increase in the content of this fatty acid in phospholipids and replacement of 18:2(n--6) and 20:4(n--6). The 22:6(n--3) was able to replace one third of 18:2(n--6): further increase in 22: 6n--3) was accompanied by a decrease in 18:0. An inverse relationship between (n--6) and (n--3) polyene fatty acids in cardiac phospholipids suggests a replacement of (n--6) acids by (n--3) fatty acids.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003060:Cod Liver Oil; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D003060:Cod Liver Oil