Body size related adaptations of the avian myocardial phospholipid fatty acyl chain composition.
The myocardial phospholipid fatty acid (FA) composition (mol %) of 7 avian species was determined, in a body mass range from 150 g (Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica) to 19 kg (turkey, Meleagris gallopavo). Significant allometric increases were found for C16:1 n7 (allometric exponent: B=0.15), C18:1 n7 (B=0.08), C18:1 n9 (B=0.24), C20:1 n9 (B=0.22) and C20:3 n3 (B=0.12); moreover, total monounsaturates (B=0.20) and the sum of n9 FAs (B=0.24) was also positively related to body mass. The total n3 FAs (B=-0.36), and within them C22:5 n3 (B=-0.41) and C22:6 n3 (B=-0.60) showed allometric declines, such as total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; B=-0.01), unsaturation index (B=-0.03) and mean FA chain length (B=-0.003). Comparing our results with earlier published data on avian skeletal muscle and divergent mammalian tissues, the allometric scaling of the above membrane forming fatty acids seems to be part of a general relationship postulated as the theory "membranes as metabolic pacemakers". In addition, the cardiac muscle malondialdehyde concentration was negatively related to body mass (B=-0.16), referring to a lower level of lipid peroxidation in larger birds, and vice versa, indicating a progressive myocardial lipid peroxidation in smaller-bodied species.
Szabó
András
A
University of Kaposvár, Faculty of Animal Science, H-7400, Kaposvár, Guba S. u. 40., Hungary. szan1125@freemail.hu
Fébel
Hedvig
H
Mézes
Miklós
M
Balogh
Krisztián
K
Horn
Péter
P
Romvári
Róbert
R
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids; D008315:Malondialdehyde