title: Long-chain fatty acid composition of maternal liver lipids during pregnancy and lactation in the rat: comparison of triglyceride to phospholipid.
abstract: The change in long-chain fatty acid composition in maternal liver was studied during pregnancy and lactation in the rat. Maternal liver triglycerides and phospholipids transiently accumulated and were depleted of long-chain fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation. During pregnancy, maternal liver accumulated triglyceride, but triglyceride fatty acid composition changed little. However, maternal liver total phospholipid fatty acid composition changed significantly without a change in the total pool size throughout pregnancy or lactation. The change in composition of (n-3) and (n-6) essential fatty acids in maternal liver triglyceride and total phospholipid occurred in an apparently dyssynchronous manner throughout pregnancy and lactation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cunnane
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis*; D009929:Organ Size; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides