The effect of a low-fat maternal diet on neonatal rats.

3. i n the liver triglycerides from the control group-the C,, and C,, polyenoic fatty acids constituted 33 % of the total fatty acids. The liver triglyceride concentration in the low-fat group was lower and the concentration of the long-chain polyenoic fatty acids in this fraction was zo yo of the control value. The milk fatty acids from the low-fat group contained only 3 3 % as much of the C1, to CZz polyenoic fatty acids compared with the control group. 4. In the brain lipids from the low-fat group, changes in the fatty acid composition were less marked than in the liver lipids. In these experiments there were only small amounts of 20: 3w9 in the tissue lipids; the ratio to zo:4w6 was less than I. 5. These changes are discussed in relation to the influence of dietary lipids on tissue growth especially of lipid-rich tissues such as the brain.