Trans fatty acids. 2. Fatty acid composition of the brain and other organs in the mature female pig.

Female pigs were fed from three wk of age and up to two years a diet containing partially hydrogenated fish oil (PHFO, 28% trans monoenoic fatty acids), partially hydrogenated soybean oils (PHSBO, 36% trans fatty acids) or lard. No consistent differences were found between PHFO and PHSBO with regard to incorporation of trans fatty acids in organ lipids, but trans incorporations were highly organ-specific. No trans fatty acids were detected in brain phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The incorporation of monoenoic trans isomers, as a percentage of total cis + trans, in other organs was highest in subcutaneous adipose tissue and liver mitochondria PE, followed by blood lipids with the lowest level in heart PE. The percentage of trans isomers compared with that of dietary lipids was consistently lower for 20:1, compared with 18:1 in organs from PHFO-fed pigs. The only effect of dietary trans fatty acids on the fatty acid pattern of brain PE was an increased level of 22:5n-6. Heart PE and total serum lipids of pigs fed the hydrogenated fats contained higher levels of 18:2n-6, and these lipids of the PHFO-fed group also contained slightly elevated amounts of 20:3n-6, 18:3n-3 and 20:5n-3. Liver mitochondria PE of the PHFO group also contained higher levels of 20:3n-6 and 22:5n-6. Dietary trans fatty acids caused a consistent decrease of saturated fatty acids compensated by increased levels of monoenes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)