Molecular species of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in heart of rats given excess vitamin A.

The effect of 33 mg of vitamin A for two days on heart phospholipids and on the molecular species of phosphatidyl-choline and phosphatidyl-ethanolamine of rats has been studied. Vitamin A reduced the amounts of heart total phospholipids, phosphatidyl-choline and its tetraenoic species and of the hexaenoic species of phosphatidyl-ethanolamine. In rats administered vitamin A the incorporation of NaH232PO4 and choline 1,2-14C chloride into total phospholipids and into the phosphatidyl-choline fraction was reduced. The results of the incorporation of NaH232PO4 into the various molecular species of phosphatidyl-choline and phosphatidyl-ethanolamine showed that excess A impaired the synthesis of these phospholipids via the CDP-choline-ethanolamine pathway.