Biomaterial Database

Long-term deficiency of essential fatty acids in rats and its effect on brain recovery. 1979

A A Odutuga

1. Nineteen-day old rats were fed an essential fatty acid deficient diet for 37 weeks, thereby making them essential fatty acid deficient for at least 24 weeks. The weights of their brains were 33% less than those of rats on control diets. 2. When the deficient rats were rehabilitated for ten weeks on a diet containing 5% by weight corn oil as a source of essential fatty acids, the weights of their brains were still 30% less than those of the controls. 3. Analysis of the brain lipids showed that, there was a large reduction in the proportions of cerebrosides and sphingomyelin in essential fatty acid deficiency. 4. Essential fatty acid deficiency was also characterised by the appearance of a high proportion of eicosatrienoic acid (20:3) and the reduction of arachidonic acid (20:4) and the other essential fatty acids. 5. Rehabilitation for a period of 10 weeks did not reverse these changes in brain composition. 6. It is considered that the feeding of essential fatty acid deficient diet to rats for a prolonged period of time causes retardation of brain maturity and makes the brain resistant to later dietary manipulations.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D001923	Brain Chemistry	Changes in the amounts of various chemicals (neurotransmitters, receptors, enzymes, and other metabolites) specific to the area of the central nervous system contained within the head. These are monitored over time, during sensory stimulation, or under different disease states.	Chemistry, Brain,Brain Chemistries,Chemistries, Brain
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D005227	Fatty Acids	Organic, monobasic acids derived from hydrocarbons by the equivalent of oxidation of a methyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde, and then acid. Fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated (FATTY ACIDS, UNSATURATED). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Aliphatic Acid,Esterified Fatty Acid,Fatty Acid,Fatty Acids, Esterified,Fatty Acids, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acid,Aliphatic Acids,Acid, Aliphatic,Acid, Esterified Fatty,Acid, Saturated Fatty,Esterified Fatty Acids,Fatty Acid, Esterified,Fatty Acid, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acids
D005228	Fatty Acids, Essential	Long chain organic acid molecules that must be obtained from the diet. Examples are LINOLEIC ACIDS and LINOLENIC ACIDS.	Acids, Essential Fatty,Essential Fatty Acids
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D050356	Lipid Metabolism	Physiological processes in biosynthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) of LIPIDS.	Metabolism, Lipid