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Dietary -Linolenic Acid Deficiency and Early Uterine Development in Female Rats¹

Laboratoire de Physiologie Pharmacodynamie, INSERM U 352, INSA 69621 Villeurbanne, France ^* Laboratoire de Nutrition et Sécurité Alimentaire, INRA, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France

Feeding rats a purified diet containing peanut oil with a low -linolenic acid [18:3(n-3)] content resulted in lower amounts of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)], greater amounts of docosapentaenoic acid [22:5(n-6)] in uterus phospholipids, and altered postnatal uterus development when compared with rats fed a diet containing peanut and rapeseed oils. Maximal differences in uterine growth, as measured by uterine weight, protein and DNA content, occurred between d 24 and 30 postpartum and disappeared near the end of sexual development (d 40). The induction of the progesterone receptor was not affected, and serum estradiol concentrations were not significantly reduced in deficient animals. Moreover, growth response of the uterus to low doses of 17ß-estradiol (<5 µg/kg) was significantly reduced in ovariectomized animals fed the diet containing only peanut oil. However, the maximal response of the uterus, observed with higher 17ß-estradiol doses (5–50 µg/kg), was not affected. Because the two diets used differed in the content of -linolenic acid, it is likely that -linolenic acid deficiency in animals fed the diet containing only peanut oil was the cause of the affected uterine development.

KEY WORDS: • fatty acids • -linolenic acid • estrogen • rats

¹ Supported by a grant from the MRES ("Aliment 2000" no. 87 G 0550).

Manuscript received 22 October 1990. Revision accepted 17 October 1991.