[Effect of pregnancy and lactation on the nutritional status of essential fatty acids in rat].
BACKGROUND
Pregnancy and lactation could be high risk situations for the development of essential fatty acid deficiencies.


OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of pregnancy and lactation on red blood cell phospholipids percentual fatty acid composition of virgin, pregnant and lactating rats.


METHODS
Twenty four pregnant rats of 50 +/- 1 days of age were supplement with soy and 24 with fish oil during 21 days. Twelve rats of each group were sacrificed after 18 days of lactation, twenty four non pregnant rats received soy oil and acted as controls of pregnant and lactating rats. Red blood cell phospholipid fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography.


RESULTS
The percentage of total omega-6 fatty acids of red blood cell phospholipid was 37.8 +/- 5.9, 32.6 +/- 0.6 and 38.3 +/- 3.5% in non pregnant, pregnant and lactating rats respectively (p < 0.001). The figures for total omega-3 fatty acids were 6.33 +/- 1.52, 4.31 +/- 0.39 and 2.7 +/- 0.46 respectively (p < 0.001). There was no change in eicosatrienoic fatty acid percentage. Supplementation with fish oil reverted the decrease in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid percentage of pregnant and lactating rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnancy and lactation decrease the capacity to transform precursors of essential fatty acids in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Araya
J
J
Departamento de Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile.
Barriga
C
C
D000818:Animals; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential