THE EFFECT OF DIETARY IRON-DEFICIENCY ON THE FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF PLASMA AND ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN THE RAT

Severe iron deficiency was introduced in rats by feeding outbred male Wistar rats a purified diet that was either adequate or deficient in i ron. The rats were weighed regularly over 4 weeks to monitor body weig ht differences, after which blood was drawn from a subsample to determ ine the haemoglobin concentrations and fatty acid composition of plasm a total phospholipids and to measure the erythrocyte membrane phosphat idylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine levels. Comparisons between d ietary iron adequate (control) and dietary iron deficient (experimenta l) rats showed that the experimental rats had lower body weight and pl asma total phospholipid linoleic acid levels typical of the symptoms o f essential fatty acid deficiency, Erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylet hanolamine arachidonic acid levels were increased (P < 0.05) with conc omitant decreases in oleic acid (P < 0.01). Correlations between fatty acids and growth suggest that the mechanism whereby iron deficiency a ffects growth is in some way related to abnormal fatty acid shifts tha t disturb the delicate balance of essential fatty acids in membranes. Additional omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids may be necessary to counter act the effect of iron deficiency in rats.