The positional distributions of fatty acids in the triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholines of the intestinal and popliteal lymph and plasma of sheep.
As part of a study of the contribution of the intestinal lymph lipoproteins and their lipid constituents to the plasma lipids in sheep, the positional distributions of the fatty acids in the triacyl-sn-glycerols and phosphatidylcholines in very low density/low density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein fractions were determined by stereospecific analysis procedures. The triacyl-sn-glycerols of these lipoprotein fractions in intestinal lymph did not differ appreciably in structure and resembled the plasma triacyl-sn-glycerols in the composition of position sn-2 especially. However, there were appreciable amounts of the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, in positions sn-1 and sn-3 of the triacylglycerols in lymph but not in plasma. This result is discussed in terms of the metabolism of the triacylglycerols of lymph after they enter the plasma as part of a mechanism for the conservation of essential fatty acids in ruminants. No differences of metabolic note were observed in the structures of the phosphatidylcholines between lipoprotein fractions and among tissues.
D000818:Animals; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000032:analysis; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000032:analysis; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000032:analysis; D008196:Lymph / Q000032:analysis*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D012756:Sheep; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
D005227:Fatty Acids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D014280:Triglycerides