Fatty Acid Composition of Selected Organs of Gerbils Maintained on a Fat-Deficient or Fat-Supplemented Diet
September 1977
in “
Lipids
”
TLDR Gerbils on a fat-deficient diet had altered fatty acid levels, hair loss, reduced sperm, and lower body weight.
The study examined the fatty acid composition in the liver, heart, and testes of gerbils on fat-deficient and fat-supplemented diets. Gerbils on a fat-deficient diet showed increased levels of 16:1, 18:1, and 20:3ω9, and decreased levels of 18:2 and 20:4 (and 22:5ω6 in testes). These changes were more pronounced in gerbils placed on the fat-deficient diet at 28 days old and examined up to two months later. Minimal changes were observed in brain fatty acids, and 22:6ω3 levels remained stable. Fat-deficient gerbils experienced hair loss, reduced spermatids and spermatozoa, and most had lower body weight compared to fat-supplemented controls. High oleic acid levels in deficient gerbils indicated dynamic fatty acid metabolism.
