Rat Liver Plasma Membranes in Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

Abstract

Liver plasma membranes were isolated from normal and essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient rats. Membranes from deficient animals showed a considerably lower 5′-nucleotidase activity but there was no difference in the Mg²⁺-Na⁺-K⁺-adenosine triphosphatase activity between the normal and deficient membranes. The cholesterol content of EFA-deficient membranes was significantly lower than the normal membranes, whereas the amount of total lipids and phospholipids was unaltered. There was a marked decrease in the 18:2 and 20:4 and an increase in the 16:1, 18:1 and 20:3 fatty acids of the deficient membranes as compared with membranes from normal rats.