title: Lead exposure and (n-3) fatty acid deficiency during rat neonatal development alter liver, plasma, and brain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition.
abstract: Lead (Pb) exposure has been reported to increase arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. To determine whether Pb effects on fatty acid composition are influenced by dietary (n-3) fatty acid restriction, weanling female rats were fed either an (n-3)-adequate or -deficient diet to maturity and mated. At parturition, dams in each group were subdivided to receive either 0.2% Pb or Na-acetate in their drinking water during lactation only. Pups were analyzed for fatty acid content in liver, plasma, and brain at either 3 or 11 wk. The (n-3)-deficient diets markedly decreased total (n-3) fatty acids, and increased total (n-6) fatty acids including both AA and docosapentaenoic (n-6) in each compartment (P < 0.05). The main effects of Pb were in the livers of weanling rats where there was a 56% loss in total fatty acid concentration concurrent with increased relative percentages of AA and DHA. Thus, because there was a greater percentage of liver nonessential fatty acid lost relative to the essential fatty acids (EFA), there was no net change in AA concentration. There was a diet x Pb interaction for a decrease in liver DHA concentration evident only in the (n-3)-adequate group. There were also diet x Pb interactions in plasma at 11 wk and in brain at 3 wk. These data are consistent with the hypothesis of a Pb-induced increase in fatty acid catabolism, perhaps as a source of energy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ocean Science, Korea Maritime University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D016718:Arachidonic Acid