Brain trans fatty acids

In heart, liver, and brain, trans fatty acids occm mainly in membrane phospholipids. The position of the double bond as well as the conformation of the carbon chain may determine the pattern of trans fatty acid esterification in phospholipids, but there is evidence that trans- 8 fatty acids are preferentially incorporated into position 1 of the phospho-acylgly-cerols, as are saturated fatty acids in contrast, oleic acid is randomly distributed. 

Lipid Composition. After the behavior experiments, the rats were killed by decapitation. Tissue samples including brain and retina were removed and stored at -80°C. The total lipid extracts of tissues were prepared according to the method of Folch et al. (39). Butylated hydroxytoluene (300 qg/sample) was added in methanol to each sample to minimize lipid oxidation. The total lipid extracts were trans-methylated with 14% BFj/methanol at 100°C for 60 min by a modification (40) of the method of Morrison and Smith (41). Fatty acid methyl esters were then analyzed on a Hewlett-Packard 5890 gas chromatograph (Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, CA) equipped with a flame ionization detector and fused silica capillary column (DB-FFAP, 30 m X 0.25 mm x 0.25 m, J W, Folsom, CA) with carrier gas (hydrogen) at a linear velocity of 50 cm/s. Injector and detector temperature were set to 250°C and oven temperature program was as follows 130 to 175°C at4°C/min, 175 to 210°C at l°C/min, and then to 245 at 30°C/min, with a final... 

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