THE ANALYSIS OF FATTY-ACID CONTENT AND PHOSPHOLIPASE A(2) ACTIVITY INPLACENTA OF COWS WITH AND WITHOUT RETAINED FETAL MEMBRANES

The aim of the following study was the comparison of phospholipase A(2 )(PLA(2)) activity and fatty acids content in cows with and without re tained fetal membranes. The activity of the enzyme and levels of fatty acids were measured in maternal and fetal placental tissues obtained from cows immediately after spontaneous parturition without (group A) and with (group B) retained fetal membranes. PLA(2) activity was stati stically significantly (P <0.05) higher in group A than in group B, an d was significantly lower in the fetal part than in the maternal part of placenta in both groups. The content of the examined fatty acids-my ristic (14:0), palmitic (16:0), palmitoleic (16:1), stearic (18:0), ol eic (18:1), linolenic (18:3), arachidic (20:0), arachidonic (20:4, AA) - was higher in group A than in B. Concentration of linoleic acid (18 :2) showed the opposite relationship. There was a positive correlation between enzyme activity and content of determined fatty acids. The re sults seem to confirm the hypothesis that the arachidonic acid pathway is altered in cases of retained placenta in cows.