Biological effects of autoxidized safflower oils

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Abstract
Studies on the biological effects of autoxidized safflower oil are reported. Autoxidized safflower oil (peroxide value 465 me/kg) was administered daily by intubation in doses of 1 ml to weanling male rats of the Sprague‐Dawley strain. Groups of rats were killed at 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months after starting the daily doses. The growth curves, weights of organs, light and electron microscopic examinations, chemical analysis of blood and liver, and the in vitro conversion of 1‐14C‐sodium acetate to CO2, cholesterol and fatty acids in liver slices were studied. Growth was suppressed and the weights of the livers were increased by administration of the autoxidized safflower oil. Light microcopic examination revealed no significant changes in the liver, but marked changes in the endoplasmic reticulum and an increase in the number of microbodies in liver cells of the animals after 3 days and accumulation of lipofuscin‐like substances in liver cells of animals after 3 months were demonstrated by electron microscopy. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase increased in animals of the treated groups. Although triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid in the plasma did not show any specific changes, triglyceride increased in the livers of the animals after 3 days but markedly decreased in the animals after 3 months. There was no marked effect on the14C incorporation into CO2, but decreased incorporations into cholesterol were demonstrated in the treated animals. The incorporation of14C into fatty acid was increased by the liver slices of rat after 3 days, but was decreased in the liver slices of animals after 3 weeks and 3 months. These results suggest that the marked decrease in triglyceride in the liver of the 3 month group of animals was partly due to a decreased capacity to synthesize fatty acid in the liver.