Impaired rate of microsomal fatty acid elongation in undernourished neonatal rat brain

Conference · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5013682

Yeh, Y Y

Hypomyelination caused by undernourishment in characterized by low concentrations of myelin lipids and marked reduction in lignocerate (C/sub 24:0/) and nervonate (C/sub 24:1/) moiety of cerebroside and sulfatide. Since microsomal elongation is the major source of long chain (22 to 24 carbons) fatty acids in the brain, the effect of neonatal undernourishment on acyl elongation was investigated. Undernourishment of suckling rats were induced after birth by restricting maternal dietary intake to 40% of that consumed by dams fed ad libitum. Neonates suckled by the normally fed dams served as controls. Microsomal elongation was measured as nmol from (2-/sup 14/C) malonyl CoA incorporated/h per mg of protein. At 19 days of age, rates of behenoyl CoA (C/sub 22:0/) and erucoyl CoA (C/sub 22:1/) elongation in whole brain of undernourished neonates were 30-40% lower than that of the control, whereas the elongation rates of acyl CoA 16, 18 and 20 carbons in length either saturated or monounsaturated were similar in both groups. Undernourishment had no effect on cytoplasmic de novo fatty acid synthesis from acetyl CoA. If there are multiple elongation factors, the results indicate that the depressed activity of elongating enzyme(s) for C/sub 22:0/ and C/sub 22:1/ is an important contributing factor in lowering S/sub 24:0/ and C/sub 24:1/ content in cerebroside and sulfatide. This impairment may be a specific lesion leading to hypomyelination in undernourished rats.

• Research Organization: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
• OSTI ID: 5013682
• Report Number(s): CONF-8606151-
• Journal Information: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Vol. 45:6; ISSN FEPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550901* -- Pathology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BODY
BRAIN
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COENZYMES
DIET
DISEASES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIPIDS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
METABOLISM
MICROSOMES
MYELIN
NEONATES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANOIDS
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RATS
RODENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES