Abstract
The composition of liver phospholipids was studied in rats fed for 4 weeks diets containing 0, 100 or 300 mg 13‐cis retinoic acid per kg diet. There was a significant decrease in phosphatidylcholine content, whereas the levels of phosphatidylethanolamine were slightly increased in liver phospholipids of rats fed 13‐cis retinoic acid. The fatty acid composition of total phospholipids, PC, PE, and PI+PS fractions revealed a general increase in the levels of 18∶2 and 20∶3ω6, whereas the levels of 20∶4ω6 and C22 fatty acids were reduced in most of the hepatic phospholipids isolated from rats fed 13‐cis retinoic acid containing diets. A decrease in the double‐bond index of fatty acids was also observed in phospholipids of rats fed 13‐cis retinoic acid. The data suggest that high levels of 13‐cis retinoic acid may possibly be influencing the activities of microsomal desaturating and chain‐elongating enzymes in the liver.