Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The origin of palmitic acid in brain of the developing rat

  • Article
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

A rat milk substitute containing lower amounts of palmitic and oleic acid in the triacylglycerols in comparison to natural rat milk was fed to artificially reared rat pups from day 7 after birth to day 14. Pups reared by their mother served as controls. Free trideuterated (D3) palmitic acid [(C2H3)(CH2)14COOH, 98 atom % D] and free perdeuterated (D31) palmitic acid [C15 2H31COOH, 99 atom % D] in equal quantity were mixed into the triacylglycerols of the milk substitute in an amount equal to 100% of the palmitic acid in the triacylglycerols. A control milk substitute contained unlabeled free palmitic acid in an amount equal to 100% of the palmitic acid in the triacylglycerols of the milk substitute. The objective was to determine if palmitic acid in the diet contributed significantly to the palmitic acid content of developing brain and other organs. The methyl esters of the fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography and the palmitic acid methyl ester was examined by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The proportion of deuterated methyl palmitate as a percentage of total palmitate was determined; 32% of the palmitic acid in liver and 12% of the palmitic acid in lung were trideuterated and perdeuterated palmitic acid in approximately equal amounts. The brain, by contrast, did not contain the deuterated palmitic acid moiety. Quantitation of palmitic acid and total fatty acids revealed a significant accumulation in organs in the interval from 7 to 14 days of age. Under our experimental conditions, labeled palmitic acid does not enter the brain. Consequently, we conclude that the developing brain produces all required palmitic acid byde novo synthesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AR:

artificially reared

FAB-MS:

fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

MCT:

medium-chain triacylglycerol

MR:

maternally reared

RMS:

rat milk substitute

References

  1. Oldendorf, W.H. (1975) inThe Nervous System: The Basic Neurosciences (Tower, D.B., ed.) Vol. 1, pp. 279–289, Raven Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hart, M.N., Van Dyk, L.F., Moore, S.A., Shasby, D.M., and Cancilla, P.A. (1987)J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol. 46, 141–153.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pardridge, W.M., and Mietus, L.A. (1980)J. Neurochem. 34, 463–466.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dhopeshwarkar, G.A., Subramanian, C., and Mead, J.F. (1973)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 296, 257–264.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cook, H.N. (1979)J. Neurochem. 32, 515–519.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Vannucci, S., and Hawkins, R. (1983)J. Neurochem. 41, 1718–1725.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Miller, J.C., Gnaedinger, J.M., and Rapoport, S.I. (1987)J. Neurochem. 49, 1507–1514.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Anderson, G.J., and Connor, W.E. (1988)Lipids 23, 286–290.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sperry, W.M., Waelsch, H., and Stoyanoff, V.A. (1940)J. Biol. Chem. 135, 281–290.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dhopeshwarkar, G.A., Maier, R., and Mead, J.F. (1969)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 187, 6–12.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Illingworth, D.R., and Glover, J. (1973)J. Neurochem. 21, 1403–1414.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kulmacz, R.J., Sivarajan, M., and Lands, W.E.M. (1986)Lipids 21, 21–25.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Auestad, N., Korsak, R.A., Bergstrom, J.D., and Edmond, J. (1989)Br. J. Nutr. 61, 495–518.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Webber, R.J., and Edmond, J. (1979)J. Biol. Chem. 254, 3912–3920.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Morrison, W.R., and Smith, L.M. (1964)J. Lipid Res. 5, 600–608.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. SAS/SAT Users Guide, Version 6, Fourth Edition, Vol. 2, Carry, NC: SAS Institute Inc., 1989, pp. 891–996.

  17. Emken, E.A., Adlof, R.O., Rohwedder, W.K., and Gulley, R.M. (1983)J. Lipid Res. 24, 34–46.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Emken, E.A., Adlof, R.O., Rohwedder, W.K., and Gulley, R.M. (1989)Lipids 24, 61–69.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Emken, E.A., Rohwedder, W.K., Adlof, R.O., DeJarlais, W.J., and Gulley, R.M. (1986)Lipids 21, 589–595.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Emken, E.A., Rohwedder, W.K., Adlof, R.O., Rakoff, H., and Gulley, R.M. (1987)Lipids 22, 495–504.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Dhopeshwarkar, G.A., and Mead, J.F. (1969)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 187, 461–467.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Allweis, C., Landau, T., Abeles, M., and Magnes, J. (1966)J. Neurochem. 13, 795–804.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Waelsch, H., Sperry, W.M., and Stoyanoff, V.A. (1940) J. Biol. Chem. 135, 291–296.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Waelsch, H., Sperry, W.M., and Stoyanoff, V.A. (1940) J. Biol. Chem. 135, 297–302.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Gatley, S.J., Wess, M.M., Govoni, P.L., Wagner, A., Katz, J.J., and Friedman, A.M. (1986) J. Nucl. Med. 27, 388–394.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Juorio, A.V., Greenshaw, A.J., and Boulton, A.A. (1986) Arch. Pharmacol. 333, 240–245.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Dyck, L.E., and Boulton, A.A. (1986)Biochem. Pharmacol. 35, 2893–2896.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Cho, A.K., Hiramatsu, M., Pechnick, R.N., and Di Stefano, E. (1989)J. Pharmacol. Exp. Therap. 250, 210–215.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Dyck, L.E., Durden, D.A., and Boulton, A.A. (1986)J. Neurochem. 46, 399–404.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA School of Medicine, 90024, Los Angeles, California

    B. Noelle Marbois, Rose A. Korsak & John Edmond

  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The College of Letters and Science, 90024, Los Angeles, California

    Henry O. Ajie & Dilip K. Sensharma

Authors
  1. B. Noelle Marbois
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Henry O. Ajie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rose A. Korsak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dilip K. Sensharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. John Edmond
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Marbois, B.N., Ajie, H.O., Korsak, R.A. et al. The origin of palmitic acid in brain of the developing rat. Lipids 27, 587–592 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536115

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536115

Keywords

Search

Navigation