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Effect of Dietary Fat Content and Composition during Pregnancy on Fetal Hepatic HMG CoA Reductase Activities and Lipids in Rats¹

Neil C. Haave, Laurie J. Nicol^* and Sheila M. Innis^*,2

Department of Pathology ^* Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V5Z 4H4

The effects of diets containing 20% (wt/wt) safflower, olive or palm oil or 5% (wt/wt) safflower oil when fed throughout gestation on hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase activity and on plasma and liver lipids were studied in fetal rats at d 21 of gestation. Hepatic total and active HMG CoA reductase activity, plasma free cholesterol and liver triglyceride and phospholipid 18:2(n-6) levels were higher in fetuses of rats fed 20% than in those of rats fed 5% safflower oil. Fetuses of rats fed olive oil had higher active HMG CoA reductase levels than fetuses of rats fed 20% safflower or palm oil; their total reductase activity was similar to that of the safflower oil group and higher than that for the palm oil group. Fetal liver and plasma cholesterol and triglyceride, as well as liver phospholipid concentrations, were not altered by the type of oil fed. The diets containing safflower oil resulted in higher 18:2(n-6) and lower 18:1 levels in fetal liver phospholipid and triglycerides than did the diets containing palm or olive oil. These studies demonstrate that fetal liver HMG CoA reductase activity is influenced by the maternal diet fat content and composition although the effect of specific fatty acids is unknown.

KEY WORDS: • HMG CoA reductase • development • dietary fat • rats

¹ Supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada.

² To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Manuscript received 19 September 1989. Revision accepted 19 December 1989.