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Effect of simvastatin on desaturase activities in liver from lean and obese zucker rats
Author(s) -
Georges B.,
Blond J. P.,
Maniongui C.,
Bézard J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02536363
Subject(s) - simvastatin , medicine , endocrinology , lipidology , arachidonic acid , microsome , clinical chemistry , chemistry , delta , obesity , fatty liver , fatty acid , substrate (aquarium) , biology , biochemistry , enzyme , ecology , disease , aerospace engineering , engineering
Abstract The effect of simvastatin, a hypocholesterolemic drug, on the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid was studied in obese and lean Zucker rats. After administration of 2 mg/kg body weight/d for 13 d, Δ6 and Δ5 desaturase activities were measured in liver microsomes at two substrate concentrations. In untreated rats, the Δ6 desaturation rate was similar in the obese and lean rats when measured at saturating substrate levels, whereas Δ5 desaturation was lower in the obese animals. Treatment with simvastatin did not change Δ6 desaturation in either phenotype but increased Δ5 desaturation in obese rats to reach the unchanged rate observed in lean animals. The changes were not reflected in the fatty acid composition of liver microsomal phospholipids when expressed as μg fatty acid/g of liver.