Abstract
Linolenic acid (18:3ω3) is a dietary precursor of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6ω3), the major fatty acid in the photoreceptor membranes of the retina. We hypothesized that rhesus monkeys deprived of dietary ω-3 fatty acids during prenatal and postnatal development would show plasma depletion of these fatty acids and visual impairment. Semipurified diets low in ω-3 fatty acids were fed to one group of adult female rhesus monkeys throughout pregnancy and to their infants from birth. A control group of mothers and infants received similar diets but supplying ample linolenic acid. In the plasma phospholipids of deficient infants, linolenic acid was generally undetectable and 22:6ω3 levels became progressively depleted, falling from 42% of control values at birth to 21% at 4 wk, 9% at 8 wk, and 6% at 12 wk of age. In the other plasma lipid classes, 22:6ω3 was undetectable by 12 wk. The visual acuity of the deprived infants, as measured by the preferential looking method, was reduced by one-fourth at 4 wk (P < 0.05) and by one-half at 8 and 12 wk (P < 0.0005) compared with control infants. These results suggest that ω-3 fatty acids may be an essential nutrient, and that 22:6ω3 may have a specific function in the photoreceptor membranes of the retina.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 272-276 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Investigation |
Volume | 73 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1984 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine