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Effects of Starvation on the Fatty Acid Composition of Adipose Tissue and Plasma Lipids of Sheep¹

Physiology and Pharmacology, Purdue University, Department of Biochemistry and Department of Veterinary Lafayette, Indiana 47907

Six mature ewes were fasted for 24 days to study the effect of prolonged fasting on the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue, plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and plasma neutral lipids. Tissue and blood samples were collected every 2 days throughout the fast. The apparent rate of fatty acid mobilization from adipose tissue during the first 4 days of the fast was greater for palmitate than for oleate and stearate. From days 4 through 8 the percentage of oleate in adipose tissue increased and that of stearate decreased. These two fatty acids then remained essentially constant through day 14; however, the percentage of palmitate in adipose tissue decreased steadily from day 0 through day 14. While myristate, palmitoleate and linoleate were present only at low levels in adipose tissue, these and the three major fatty acids mentioned above were all readily mobilized during the prolonged fast. During the first 4 days of fasting the concentration of total plasma NEFA increased 2.1 times while the concentration of palmitate, oleate, and stearate in plasma NEFA increased 2.1, 2.3, and 1.9 times, respectively. The concentration of these three fatty acids (µEq/liter plasma) then remained constant through day 16. The plasma concentration of nonesterified linoleate remained constant throughout the prolonged fast, and thus the percentage of plasma linoleate decreased when the concentration of total NEFA increased. Initially, linoleate made up 28% of the fatty acids of plasma neutral lipids, but this percentage decreased rapidly with 4 days of fasting and decreased more slowly through day 16. This decrease of linoleate in plasma neutral lipids was compensated by a marked increase in the percentage of oleate and a modest increase in stearate. The fatty acid composition of all three lipid fractions became erratic after 14 to 16 days of fasting.

Manuscript received 28 July 1969.