Magnesium deprivation or short-term essential fatty acid deficiency in rats: effects on serum lipids, platelet fatty acid composition and arachidonic acid incorporation into platelet phospholipids.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term magnesium or essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiencies on plasma lipids, platelet fatty acid composition and [1-14C] arachidonic acid incorporation into platelet phospholipids. Weanling rats were fed purified diets (casein 20%, sucrose 70.5%, lipid 5%) for two weeks. The control and magnesium-deficient diets included corn oil as lipid source. The EFA-deficient diet included hydrogenated coconut oil. The fatty acid composition of serum lipids confirmed the linoleic acid deprivation in the EFA-deficient group. Significant changes in platelet fatty acid composition occurred in this limited period of time and arachidonic acid incorporation into platelet lipids was markedly increased. Magnesium deficiency induced hyperlipaemia. A significant decrease in the percentage of arachidonic acid in total serum lipids was observed, but fatty acid profile appeared quite different in the two deficiencies. In magnesium-deficient rats, the alteration in fatty acid composition of serum lipids was not associated with similar changes in fatty acid composition of platelet lipids. Arachidonic acid incorporation into platelet lipids was markedly increased in magnesium deficient animals as compared to control group. Relatively more arachidonic acid was incorporated into phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol when magnesium-deficient or EFA-deficient animals were compared to the control group.

Short term essential fatty acid deficiency in rats. Influence of dietary carbohydrates.

The effects of long term (8-14 wk) essential fatty acid (EFA)-deprived diets in rats are well documented. In the present study, we compared, in weanling rats, the effect of a short term (two wk) hydrogenated coconut oil, EFA-deprived, diet (D) with that of a corn oil, EFA-adequate, diet (A), using either sucrose (SU) or starch (ST) as carbohydrate. After two wk, rats fed the sucrose/hydrogenated coconut oil diet developed some characteristic features of EFA deprivation: slower growth rate, decreases in linoleic and arachidonic acid of plasma phospholipids and an increase in n-9 eicosatrienoic acid of plasma phospholipids. When rats ate the starch/hydrogenated coconut oil diet, there was a similar decrease in linoleic acid of plasma phospholipids, but only a small effect on growth rate and no change in the arachidonic acid content of plasma phospholipids. EFA deprivation and sucrose had opposite effects on plasma triglyceride (TG) levels: deprivation induced a decrease, whereas the sucrose induced an increase in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides. The observed decrease in plasma triglyceride during EFA deprivation might result from an activation of lipoprotein lipase during the early stages of deprivation.