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Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 43, 124-131, January 2002
Copyright © 2002 by Lipid Research, Inc.

n-3 Deficient and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched diets during critical periods of the developing prenatal rat brain

Correspondence to: Ephraim Yavin, To whom correspondence should be addressed., ephraim.yavin{at}weizmann.ac.il (E-mail)

The last period of the intrauterine life in the rat (embryonic day 17 to 21, ED17–ED21) is demarcated by an increase in brain and body weight and active neuronogenesis. During this period, a rapid accumulation of DHA (22:6 n-3), unparalleled to other fatty acids, takes place. The details of DHA rapid acquisition in the fetal brain were investigated after imposing a diet deficient in n-3 fatty acids (FA) as of ED1 and subsequently examining the distribution of DHA in major brain phospholipid (PL) classes on ED20, having added on ED15 a triglyceride (TG) mixture enriched up to 43% with DHA. The n-3 deficiency maintained for 19 days resulted at ED20 in more than 30% reduction of DHA in PL, which was counterbalanced by an increase of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5 n-6). No effect on body weight, nor major changes in PL composition or other FA in fetal brain PL were observed. Feeding dams a DHA-TG diet on ED15 induced an immediate increase of DHA in maternal liver PL, followed by a subsequent increase of DHA in fetal liver PL, as well as in fetal brain PL.

Thus the content of fetal brain DHA in n-3 deficient embryos could be restored within 48 hours. Dietary manipulation of fetal tissues is a rapid phenomenon and can be used to enrich DHA at critical periods of development in utero. — Schiefermeier, M., and E. Yavin. n-3 Deficient and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched diets during critical periods of the developing prenatal rat brain. J. Lipid Res. 2002. 43: 124–131.

Supplementary key words: docosahexaenoic acid, n-3 deficiency, phospholipids, fetal brain, fetal liver, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine

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