CONCENTRATIONS AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SERUM LIPID FRACTIONS FOLLOWING ACTH IN RABBITS

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Abstract
In a group of rabbits injection of ACTH over 5 days caused a rise in cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides (TG) in serum. Concomitant changes in fatty acid composition included an increase in linoleic acid in cholesterol esters and phospholipids, a lowering of oleic acid in all three fractions, and an increase in palmitic acid in TG. The changes in fatty acid composition may be accounted for by increased lipolysis of adipose tissue effected by ACTH with an increased influx to the liver of free fatty acids (FFA), rich in palmitic and linoleic acid, and relatively poor in oleic acid. Furthermore, inhibition by ACTH of fatty acid synthesis may have favoured the incorporation of linoleic acid at the expense of fatty acids synthetized in the liver. It is concluded that the changes in lipid concentrations and fatty acid composition after injecting ACTH in rabbits are quite different from those observed following serious illness in man. This may indicate that the degradation of low density lipoproteins, with lowering of cholesterol and phospholipids following serious illness in man, is not caused by ACTH or corticosteroids.

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