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. Gerbil pups from mothers on these diets 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) in fat-deficient conditions. More pronounced changes were observed in older gerbils on a fat-deficient diet, with minimal changes in brain fatty acids. The concentration of 22:6ω3 remained stable despite the diet. Fat-deficient gerbils exhibited 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.