The intracellular distribution of fatty acids in rat liver. The fatty acids of intracellular compartments

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Abstract
The fatty acid composition of rat-liver homogenates and subcellular fractions prepared by differential centrifuging was measured. Complete extraction of all lipid material from the liver was not achieved by the standard extraction procedures. The proportions of individual fatty acids in the extracted lipids were the same irrespective of percentage of lipid extracted (60-90%). Fatty acids liberated by direct saponification of the''tissue were in the same proportions as in the extracted lipids. The proportions of fatty acids in a rat-liver homogenate remained constant during a 2 hr. aerobic incubation at 37[degree]. The mean fatty acid content (expressed as [mu]moles of fatty acid/g dry wt. of tissue) were: liver pulp 363, nuclei 265, mitochondria 384, fluffy layer 464, microsomes 525, supernatant 106. The fatty acid compositions of the different subcellular fractions were very similar. The main fatty acids were palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid. Mitochondria contained the highest proportion of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (43.6%). The fatty acid composition of the supernatant fat after removal of particulate material was similar to that of the food, and similar to that of the adipose tissue.