title: Effect of maternal fatty acid deficiency on lipid content and composition of rat liver during prenatal development.
abstract: Two groups of female rats were fed a diet with high (5.9 cal % of linoleate + linolenate) or low (0.78 cal % of linoleate + linolenate) essential fatty acid (EFA) concentration. The effects of the EFA concentration during gestation on liver lipid and fatty acid composition were studied in the fetuses at 15 and 20 days of intrauterine life. Fetal and liver weights were identical in the two groups; at day 20 the contents of proteins, total cholesterol, phospholipids and glycolipids were significantly decreased (p less than 0.01) with the low EFA diet while at day 15 only total cholesterol was affected (p less than 0.05). At both gestational ages the triacylglycerol content was increased in the low EFA group (day 15 p less than 0.05, day 20 p less than 0.01). The maternal EFA deficiency resulted in higher levels of 16:1 n-7 in the phospholipid fractions and 16:1 n-7 and 18:1 n-7 in the neutral lipids. The increase in these monoenoic derivatives partially compensated the decrease of the polyunsaturated species 18:2 n-6 and 20:4 n-6. In conclusion the low EFA diet results in important modifications of the fetal hepatic lipids during intrauterine development.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Omodeo Salè
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000032:analysis*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis / Q000196:embryology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008055:Lipids