Abstract
Mixtures of cholesterol esters were extracted from the blood plasma of mouse (C3H/He, C57BL/6J and Jcl: ICR), rat (Wistar) and rabbit (JW-NIBS/Rabiton) and purified by thin-layer chromatography. Fatty acid moieties of the esters were methylated with BF3-methanol and analyzed quantitatively by gas chromatography. Although linoleate was most abundant (over 30% of the total esters) and myristate was found only in traces, the composition of the esters varied markedly among the species. Mice had 15.3 to 17.4% of arachidonate, but only a trace of linolenate and no stearate. In rats, arachidonate and linoleate were found in almost equal quantities, but stearate, linolenate and docosahexae-noate were present in only trace amounts. Rabbits had more palmitate and oleate and less arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate than the other two animals, but no docosahexaenoate.
