Desaturation of Linoleic Acid in the Liver and Brain during the Development of Rats with Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation

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Abstract
In vitro, studies on the desaturation of linoleic acid (essential fatty acid nonsynthetised by animals) in the liver and brain have been carried out during the development of rats with intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and of control rats. The IUGR was induced by restriction of the blood flow on the 17th gestational day. The results concerning the conversion of linoleic acid (18:2) to γ-linolenic acid (18:3) by the fetal hepatic and cerebral desaturating enzymes indicate that only the liver is affected by the clamping of the uterine vessels. No desaturase activity could be detected in the liver of IUGR animals during the first two days following the operation. However, the ratio of linoleic to arachidonic acid did not significally differ in the liver from fetus of IUGR rats and of control rats. The restriction of blood flow has no effect on the development of the fetal brain and furthermore, the pattern of desaturase activity was found to be identical in the two categories of animals.

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