ACCUMULATION OF TRIENOIC FATTY ACIDS IN RAT BRAIN AFTER DEPLETION OF LIVER (n‐6) POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

The relative rates of accumulation (mg/g fresh weight) of (n‐6)tetraenoic and (n‐9)trienoic fatty acids in brain and liver of developing rats during essential fatty acid deficiency, show that accumulation of (n‐6) acids in brain occurs concomitantly with depletion of the liver stores of polyunsaturated acids, and indicate that considerable accumulation of trienes occurs in the brain, reaching levels (mg/g) even higher than those present in the liver, only after depletion of tetraenes in the liver. The brain thus incorporates very actively long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids both of the (n‐6), and of the (n‐9) series, when (n‐6) compounds are not available any longer.