ESSENTIALITY OF DIETARY W-3 FATTY ACIDS IN PRIMATES

存在对Omega3或Omega3脂肪酸的饮食需求， α-亚麻酸家族在人类中仍然是一个未解决的问题 营养 像欧米茄6或亚油酸家族一样，欧米茄3脂肪酸 不能由动物合成。 Omega3脂肪酸含量高 在视网膜和大脑皮层中的作用表明， 神经元和感光膜的功能。 以往的研究 在大鼠中Omega3脂肪酸的饮食缺乏证明了组织 Omega 3脂肪酸耗尽，电生理减少 视网膜的反应性和学习能力受损。 我们建议完成一项长期的研究，膳食缺乏欧米茄3 非人类灵长类动物的脂肪酸。 成年雌性恒河猴被喂食一只 在交配前至少两个月， 在整个怀孕期间，他们的婴儿然后接受类似的饮食， 出生一年。 试验日粮中添加红花脂肪 油，具有非常低的Omega 3脂肪酸含量;对照饮食- 除了脂肪来源相同，大豆油-具有相对较高的 Omega3脂肪酸的含量。 利用生物化学，电生理学和 行为技术，我们正在监测的脂肪酸组成， 血浆和组织，并正在测试婴儿的视觉功能， 学习能力 到目前为止，Omega3脂肪酸的水平已经显著下降， 实验组成年女性的血脂水平， 在婴儿的血脂中几乎检测不到 皮肤和脂肪组织 来自实验婴儿的活组织检查也含有显著减少的 Omega3脂肪酸的比例。 因此，实验饮食具有 产生了Omega 3脂肪酸的严重损耗。 一项行为测试， 婴儿的视觉功能表明， 在实验组中明显受损。 的能力 然而，婴儿学习空间反转任务的能力没有受到影响。 视网膜电图记录和视觉功能的进一步测试在 中求进工作总 在拟议的两年更新期间，我们计划实现所需的数量 并完成视觉功能测试 和行为。 在一岁时，包括视网膜和大脑在内的组织将 检查脂质和脂肪酸含量以及组织学变化。

The existence of a dietary requirement for fatty acids of the Omega3 or Alpha-linolenic acid family remains an unresolved issue in human nutrition. Like the Omega6 or linoleic acid family, Omega3 fatty acids cannot be synthesized by animals. The high content of Omega3 fatty acids in the retina and cerebral cortex suggests an important role in the function of neuronal and photoreceptor membranes. Previous studies of dietary deficiency of Omega3 fatty acids in rats demonstrated tissue depletion of Omega3 fatty acids, reduced electrophysiological responsiveness of the retina, and impaired learning ability. We propose to complete a long-term study of dietary deficiency of Omega3 fatty acids in nonhuman primates. Adult female rhesus monkeys are fed one of two semipurified diets for at least two months before mating and throughout pregnancy, and their infants then receive similar diets from birth to one year. The experimental diets, with fat supplied by safflower oil, have a very low content of Omega3 fatty acids; the control diets - identical except for the fat source, soybean oil - have a relatively high content of Omega3 fatty acids. Using biochemical, electrophysiological and behavioral techniques, we are monitoring the fatty acid composition of plasma and tissues and are testing the infants' visual function and learning ability. To date, levels of Omega3 fatty acids have fallen significantly in all plasma lipid classes of the experimental group's adult females and are nearly undetectable in the infants' plasma lipids. Skin and adipose tissue biopsies from the experimental infants also contain significantly reduced proportions of Omega3 fatty acids. Thus, the experimental diet has produced severe depletion of Omega3 fatty acids. A behavioral test of the infants' visual function demonstrated that the development of visual acuity was significantly impaired in the experimental group. The ability of the infants to learn a spatial reversal task, however, was not affected. Electroretinogram recordings and further tests of visual function are in progress. During the proposed two year renewal we plan to achieve the desired number of infants in both diet groups and to complete testing of visual function and behavior. At one year of age tissues, including retina and brain, will be examined for lipid and fatty acid content and for histological changes.