title: Alteration of brain and liver microsomal polyunsaturated fatty acids following dietary vitamin E deficiency.
abstract: The effects of dietary vitamin E deficiency on fatty acid composition of brain and liver microsomes were studied in rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for 9 weeks. In brain microsomes, vitamin E deficiency resulted in a significant decrease in palmitic acid and total saturated fatty acids. Cervonic acid was increased. In contrast, no marked changes were observed in the levels of (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). In liver microsomes, vitamin E deficiency resulted in significant alterations in fatty acid composition: higher amounts of stearic acid and total saturated fatty acids, lower amounts of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and dihomo gamma linoleic acids. In contrast, arachidonic acid was not altered. The overall decrease in the amounts of (n-6) PUFA was compensated by an increase in the level of (n-3) PUFA. It is concluded that vitamin E may alter the enzymatic activities of chain elongation-desaturation and the relationship between vitamin E and PUFA in brain and liver microsomes.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U. 26, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bourre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008861:Microsomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated