Relationship between dietary oil during gestation and lactation and biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in control and in malnourished dam and pup rats
1998
Marin, M.C. | Alaniz, M.J.T. de
Protein-calorie malnutrition during gestation and lactation affects the fatty-acid desaturase activities, and hence the fatty-acid composition of developing tissues. Wistar rats were fed protein-calorie-deficient diets during gestation and lactation, and the influence of different oils (either corn or soy oil) on liver delta 5 and delta 6 desaturase activities was studied. Dam and pup growth was monitored until 18 days' postpartum, fatty-acid composition was determined in milk, as well as in dam and pup liver phospholipids. It was observed that malnutrition affects milk and liver fatty-acid composition specially in those dams receiving corn oil. Similar results were obtained in liver fatty-acid composition of dams and pups. The rate of liver delta 6 and delta 5 desaturation was measured using [1-14C]18:2n-6 and [1-14C]20:3n-6 as substrate, and the conversion of precursor to product was determined by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Protein-calorie malnutrition produced a reduction in liver delta 5 and delta 6 desaturase activities, in both dams and pups. Feeding dam rats with soy oil during gestation and lactation results in an increase of both delta 6 and delta 5 desaturation activities, even in malnourished animals, in comparison with those receiving corn oil. These observations could be helpful to devise a nutritional strategy related to polyunsaturated fatty-acid supply for the normal growth and tissue development.
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