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Effect of Cross-Fostering Rats at Birth on the Normal Supply of Essential Fatty Acids during Protein Deficiency¹

Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de la Plata (INIBIOLP), CONICET-Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, calles 60 y 120, 1900-La Plata, Argentina

The effect of protein deficiency on the activity of ⁶ desaturase in the mother during lactation was determined in the liver microsomal fraction and the fatty acid composition of milk lipids from the analyzed stomach contents. The activity of ⁶ desaturase was profoundly affected by protein deprivation during pregnancy and only reached the values of controls at about 10 days after parturition. This fact did not affect the fatty acid pattern of milk lipids and no significant differences in the contents of arachidonic acid were detected between the two groups. Nevertheless, protein deficiency apparently affected milk production. The effects of protein deprivation on the supply of polyenoic acids of cross-fostering rats at birth from protein-deficient to proteinsufficient diets and vice versa, and rats maintained during pregnancy and lactation on a low protein or control diet were examined. The fatty acid pattern of liver phospholipids of the four groups under study was determined and used as a biochemical parameter for evaluating polyenoic acid status. Protein deficiency markedly affected the fatty acid pattern of liver phospholipids. A significant decrease of both arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids was observed. This fatty acid pattern was reversed when protein-deficient animals were placed on the control diet at birth. On the other hand, the fatty acid composition of controls was negatively affected by cross-fostering to a deficient diet. The findings from the present experiment provide evidence that the negative effect of protein malnutrition appears to be promoted at least in part, by the effect of protein depletion on the supply of polyenoic acids for normal development and metabolic adaptations.

KEY WORDS: • essential fatty acid deficiency • protein malnutrition • desaturase • linoleic acid • arachidonic acid • dietary restriction

¹ This work was supported in part by research grants from Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, by Subeocetaría de Cienoia Técnica and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.

² The authors are members of the Carrera del Investigator Científico, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.

Manuscript received 24 June 1982.

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