Effect of exercise on the content of lipids, cholesterol and on the composition of fatty acids in the adrenals of rats receiving rapeseed oil in diet.

The effect of different levels of high-erucic acid rapeseed oil in diet and exposure to graded exercise on the contents of total lipids and total cholesterol, and the composition of fatty acids, in total lipids and cholesterol ester fractions in the adrenals of Wistar rats was investigated. Presence of erucic acid in the diet produced greater changes in the characteristic composition of fatty acids in the fraction of cholesterol esters than in the total lipids in the adrenals. The intensity of changes in the composition of fatty acids was greater with higher amounts of rapeseed oil in the diet and longer administration of the diet. Exercise decreased the changes in fatty acid composition in the fraction of cholesterol esters in rats receiving 50% of calories from rapeseed oil. In the group receiving 30% of calories from rapeseed oil the trained rats accumulated more rapidly cholesterol in the adrenals than the untrained rats. Exercise load had no effect on the total lipid level in the adrenals.