Plasma and red blood cell total phospholipid fatty acid status of nonpregnant female Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) on a high carbohydrate maintenance diet

Nonhuman primates are of interest as models of human physiology to study th e effect of multiple pregnancies on birth weight. Reference plasma and red blood cell (RBC) total phospholipids fatty acids were established in nonpre gnant breeding female Vervet monkeys. Twenty-three clinically healthy nonpr egnant Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), contained in a controlled c losed environment and consuming a high carbohydrate diet (68 E%) that conta ined 20 E% fat and 12 E% protein were sampled for blood during a cross-sect ional study. A low intake of omega 3 fatty acids was reflected by a high om ega 6/omega 3 ratio (66:1) of the diet. Inverse relations were seen between plasma and RBC total phospholipid fatty acids, 18:2 omega 6, 20:3 omega 6, and 20:4 omega 6, which suggested selective incorporation in membranes. Lo w levels of 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3 of plasma and RBC total phospholi pids render Vervet monkeys as ideal subjects to study the effect of omega 3 fatty acid supplementation on pregnancy outcomes.