Fatty Acid Composition of Milk from Genetically Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 120; no. 5; pp. 431 - 435
• Main Authors: Mills, David E., Ward, Ron P., Huang, Yung Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.05.1990; American Society for Nutritional Sciences
• Subjects: Animals; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Pressure; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chromatography, Gas; Disease Models, Animal; Experimental diseases; fatty acids; Fatty Acids - analysis; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - analysis; Female; hypertension; Hypertension - genetics; Hypertension - metabolism; Lactation - metabolism; lipids; Male; Medical sciences; milk; Milk - analysis; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Rats, Inbred Strains; Time Factors; milk; lipids; rats; fatty acids; hypertension; Hypertension; Rat; Rodentia; Lipids; Hereditary; Fatty acids; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Animal; Blood pressure; Circulatory system; Hemodynamics; Breast milk
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/120.5.431

To assess milk fatty acid composition in genetically normotensive (Wistar Kyoto, WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats, WKY and SH dams (n = 10/strain) were milked under halothane anesthesia on d 5, 13 and 21 postpartum. Milk samples of 0.5–1.0 mL were then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Additional WKY and SH dams (n = 2/strain) were milked on d 5 and 21 postpartum for assessment of total milk fat. In both WKY and SH strains, the amount of 8:0 and 10:0 fatty acids increased from d 5 to 21 (p < 0.001), whereas the quantity of 18:3(n-6), 20:3(n-9), 20:3(n-6), 22:4(n-6), 22:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3) fatty acids declined over the same period (p < 0.001). Milk from SH rats had higher levels of 10:0 and 20:4(n-6) fatty acids on all sampling days than did milk from WKY rats (p < 0.001), and milk from SH rats had lower levels of 16:1(n-7), 18:1(n-9) and 18:2(n-6) fatty acids on d 13 and 21 (p < 0.001). There were no differences in milk fat content between strains. These data suggest that genetically hypertensive rat pups obtain significantly greater amounts of 20:4(n-6) and significantly lower amounts of 18:2(n-6) fatty acids from maternal milk than do their normotensive counterparts.