Postnatal maturation of rat intestinal membrane: lipid composition and fluidity.
1. We studied the lipid composition and the fluidity of small intestine brush border membrane (BBM) of rats of different age: 'very young' (5-7 weeks old), 'young' (9 weeks old), 'adult' (30 weeks old) and 'old' (85 weeks old). 2. Fluorescence anisotropy, as assessed by 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene probe (DPH), was increased from very young to adult rats. 3. In agreement with these results the lipid composition in adult animals showed a lower lipid/protein ratio (derived mainly from a lower content of total polar lipids) and an increase of cholesterol esters and sphingomyelin (SM) saturation index. 4. A marked decrease of the order parameter was observed in the 'old' group, accompanied by a decreased cholesterol/phospholipid ratio. 5. The percentage distribution of membrane phospholipids significantly changed during development, but the modifications were not correlated with the anisotropy of DPH.
Institute of General Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Milano, Italy.
F
F
Omodeo-Salé
C
C
Lindi
P
P
Marciani
P
P
Cavatorta
G
G
Sartor
L
L
Masotti
G
G
Esposito
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization; D007583:Jejunum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008871:Microvilli / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D008563:Membrane Lipids