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A Comparison of the Effects of Dietary Protein and Lipid Deprivation on Lipid Composition of Liver Membranes in Rats

Applied Biochemistry Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The effects of protein- and fat-free diets on lipid-protein ratios, lipid composition and phospholipid fatty acids were compared in rat liver outer mitochondrial membranes, the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes. Both experimental diets brought about decreases in the proportions of cholesterol and phospholipids and increases in that of neutral lipids. Changes in phospholipid composition of the endoplasmic reticulum and outer mitochondrial membranes included decreases in phosphatidyl choline and increases in phosphatidyl ethanolamine (except a decrease in the endoplasmic reticulum of rats fed a fat-free diet) and sphingomyelin. The experimental diets also resulted in a decrease of archidonic and increases in C18 acids in the phospholipids. Fat-free rats had major proportions of eicosatrienoic acid (20:3) in all membranes, whereas rats fed a protein-free diet had lesser amounts of acids with 20 and 22 carbons, and, with the exception of plasma membranes, more linoleic acid (18:2) than rats fed a control diet. The similarity of many of the observed changes suggests that dietary protein and lipid deficiencies induced similar changes in the lipid and fatty acid patterns of liver membranes.

KEY WORDS: • fat-free • protein-free • membranes • lipids

Manuscript received 30 October 1973.