The effect of food intake and dietary fatty acids on the activity of stearoyl-CoA Δ9desaturase in pig adipose tissue

Abstract

SummaryStearoyl-CoA desaturase activity was determined in the subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissue of pigs either fedad libitum, or starved for up to 48 h. The effect of saturated fatty acids, as suet, or linoleic acid, as corn oil, on the enzyme activity was determined in pigs refed after starvation or fed 50% of thead libitumintake.Desaturase activity was similar in the outer and inner backfat and was twice as high as in perirenal adipose tissue. Starvation for 48 h decreased the activity by 70, 91 and 94 % in the outer and inner backfat and perirenal adipose tissue respectively. Lowering food intake to 50 % of normal decreased desaturase activity by 46% in the outer back-fat. There was no significant difference in the response of desaturase to 10% corn oil or suet added to the diet during refeeding after starvation or to the diet of underfed pigs. Although the enzyme thus appeared insensitive to dietary saturated fatty acids or linoleic acid, it was inhibited by linoleoyl-CoAin vitro.