Effect of dietary essential fatty acid deficiency on hepatic lipogenesis in the growing chick

The effects of dietary essential fatty acid deficiency on the rate of lipogenesis and activities of lipogenic enzymes of the liver were investigated in growing chicks.Compared with the control, chicks fed the tripalmitin-containing or fat-free diet had significantly higher liver triglyceride content. In contrast, chicks fed the EFA-deficient diets had significantly lower phospholipid content in the liver. The triglyceride and phospholipid concentrations in the serum were significantly higher in chicks fed the fat-free diets than in those fed the control diet. Likewise, chicks fed the tripalmitin-containing or fat-free diet had significantly greater total cholesterol, but significantly lower non-esterified fatty acids, concentration in the serum than the control birds.The rate of incorporation of acetate-1-14C into the fatty acids and glyceride-glycerol was significantly higher in chicks fed the tripalmitin-containing or fat-free diet than in those fed the control diet. On the other hand, chicks fed the tripalmitin-containing or fat-free diet had significantly decreased NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, but significantly increased glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, activity in the liver. NADP-malic dehydrogenase activity in the liver was significantly higher in chicks fed the fat-free diet than in those fed the control diet.