Dietary intake and tissue concentration of fatty acids in omnivore, vegetarian and diabetic pregnancy.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fatty acid intake and insulin dependent diabetes on the fatty acid composition of maternal erythrocytes, the placenta and cord. Fatty acid intake (from food frequency questionnaire) and the fatty acid composition of maternal erythrocytes, the placenta and cord from pregnant vegetarians (n = 4) and insulin dependent diabetics (n = 5) was compared with pregnant omnivores (n = 10). There was a significantly lower intake of n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) (-75% P < 0.01) and n-3 LCPUFA (-92% P < 0.01) and increased ratio of n-6/n-3 LCPUFA in the vegetarians (103%; P < 0.001). The concentrations of 22:4 n-6 (+28%; P < 0.05) and 22:5 n-3 (+40%; P < 0.05) were higher in vegetarian erythrocytes. Placental 18:2 n-6 (+26.9%; P < 0.05) 18:3 n-3 (+139%; P < 0.05) and 22:5 n-3 (+24%; P < 0.05) were increased while 20:5 n-3 (-36%; P < 0.05), 22:6 n-3 (-16%; P = 0.059), and the ratios of 20:4 n-6/18:2 n-6 (P < 0.01) and 22:6 n-3/18:3 n-3 were reduced. 22:6 n-6 (-49%; P < 0.05) and total n-3 LCPUFA (-11%; P < 0.01) were reduced in vegetarian cord. For the diabetic mothers, all of the n-6 LCPUFA and n-3 LCPUFA were reduced in the maternal erythrocytes; 22:4 n-6 (-42%; P < 0.05), 22:5 n-6 (-46%; P < 0.05) and 22:6 n-3 (-41%; P < 0.05). For the diabetic placenta and cord the general pattern of n-3 LCPUFA was the same as that in the vegetarians. In the vegetarian mothers, the PUFA profiles in the maternal erythrocytes, placenta and cord are consistent with an elevation in the rate of LCPUFA synthesis in order to make up the relative deficit in LCPUFA intake. However, it may be that the higher level of desaturase activity is not able to overcome the dietary deficit of 22-6 n-3 and 22:6 n-6. Despite the fact that the dietary LCPUFA intake in the pregnant diabetic was comparable with that in the pregnant 'normal' omnivore mothers, the pattern of PUFA in the tissues resembled that of the vegetarian mothers.

[Study of the process of ACTH and insulin interaction with the plasmatic membranes of rat liver cells in vitro using luminescence methods]. / Izuchenie protsessa vzaimodeistviia AKTG i insulina s plazmaticheskimi membranami kletok pecheni krys in vitro liuminestsentnymi metodami

The process of interaction of ACTH and insulin with plasmatic cellular membranes of the rat's liver and artificial lipid membranes (liposomes) was studied by the method of proper proteinic fluorescence and by using hydrophobic fluorescent probes. This process is shown to be attended by conformative readjustments of the membranous proteins and also by definite structural changes in the lipid phase of the membranes. In its action ACTH involves the hydrophobic layer of the lipid phase to a greater extent than does insulin. A comparison of the data on the effect produced by ACTH and insulin on the plasmatic membranes as against the results obtained with liposomes suggests that for the hormones to display their activity these have first to combine with the specific membranous protein, while a change in the lipid phase comes only as a consequence of such an interaction.