The effect of dietary oleic and palmitic acids on the composition and turnover rates of liver phospholipins

Abstract

Low-protein high-fat diets containing pure oleic and palmitic acids were fed to rats. The metabolism of large amts. of dietary palmitic acid was accompanied by simultaneous release of large amts. of depot fat.. Metabolism of oleic acid did not impose a similar demand on the fat depots. There was a pronounced difference in the percentage of liver fat of different litters off cats when oleic and palmitic acids were fed, in the animals from the litters in which liver fat accumulates, significantly higher percentages of liver fat were obtained for palmitic acid-fed than for oleic acid-fed animals. Feeding palmitic acid reduced the amt. of total liver phospholipin per unit of body wt. as compared with animals fed oleic acid or stock diet. A correlation was found between the amt. of liver lipid expressed on a dry-wt. basis and the amt. of radioactivity per unit of liver inorganic phosphate 4 hr. after injection of radiophosphate(as P32). Phospholipin turnover rates showed no correlation with amts. of liver lipids or with grass changes in fat metabolism caused by palmitic acid feeding.