EFFECTS OF DIETARY FAT ON LIPID COMPOSITION OF SERUM AND ERYTHROCYTES OF THE SWINE AND IN VITRO INCORPORATION OF FATTY ACIDS INTO ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANES

Abstract

Changes in fatty acid patterns of lipids in serum and erythrocytes in-duced by dietary fats and in vitro incorporation of fatty acids into ery-throcyte membranes were investigated with pigs. On feeding various diets, it was found that fatty acid composition of serum and erythrocytes could be modified and altered toward the fatty acid pattern of the diet. In vitro, the incorporation of labeled fatty acids into erythrocyte mem-branes was accelerated by the addition of cofactors such as lysolecithin, CoA and ATP. Dietary fats also had certain effects on the incorporation of fatty acids into erythrocyte membranes. Erythrocytes, collected from the blood of pigs fed corn oil, incorporated and also released more labeled linoleate than those of pigs fed hydrogenated soybean oil. Palmitic acid was more slowly incorporated into erythrocyte membranes than linoleic acid in the pigs fed both a commercial chow and scheduled meals, indicating selective esterification of fatty acids in the erythrocyte membranes.