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Calcium deficiency modifies polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in growing rats
Author(s) -
Marra Carlos A.,
Alaniz María J. T.
Publication year - 2000
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/s11745-000-0609-8
Subject(s) - calcium , clinical chemistry , microsome , chemistry , polyunsaturated fatty acid , lipidology , fatty acid , metabolism , biochemistry , phospholipase a2 , cytosol , medicine , endocrinology , phospholipid , in vitro , enzyme , biology , membrane , organic chemistry
Fatty acid desaturase activities were determined in liver microsomes from calcium‐deficient rats and compared to calcium‐sufficient ones. The calcium‐deprived diet (0.5 g/kg) administered for 60 d caused a 30% inhibition in the Δ5 desaturase activity and a 45–55% decrease in Δ6 and Δ9, respectively, facts that cannot be attributed to a reduction in food intake. In vitro addition of calcium, ethyleneglycol‐bis(β‐aminoethyl ether) N,N ‐tetraacetic acid, and/or cytosol fractions from control or calcium‐deficient rats to microsomes from both groups of animals indicates that the reduced desaturase capacities would be the consequence of an indirect effect of calcium deprivation. The present work shows that the reduced unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis might be the result of modifications in the physicochemical properties of microsomal membranes. Such changes could also be derived from the inhibition of phospholipase A 2 activity induced by calcium deficiency.