Dietary fat regulates mammary stearoyl CoA desaturase expression and activity in lactating mice

• Published in: Journal of dairy research 2004-02, Vol.71 (1), p.1-6
• Main Authors: Singh, Kuljeet, Hartley, Darren G, McFadden, Thomas B, Mackenzie, Duncan DS
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal productions; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Diet; dietary fat; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Enzymatic activity; enzyme activity; fatty acids; Fatty Acids - analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Lactating mice; Lactation; Lipids - analysis; liver; mammary gland; Mammary Glands, Animal - enzymology; messenger RNA; Mice; Milk; Milk - chemistry; milk fat; Olive Oil; Plant Oils - pharmacology; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Safflower oil; Safflower Oil - pharmacology; SCD; stearoyl-CoA desaturase; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase - genetics; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase - metabolism; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 0022-0299; 1469-7629
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022029903006502

Mice in mid lactation (n=6 per group) were fed a control diet (1·19% fat), or diets containing safflower oil (25% w/w) or olive oil (25% w/w) for 7 d. Mammary and liver stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) mRNA levels and mammary SCD activities were higher in lactating mice fed the control diet than in those fed the oil-supplemented diets. Further, mammary SCD mRNA was directly related to mammary SCD activity. Milk fat composition was influenced by dietary fat composition. The olive oil diet, high in 18[ratio ]1, led to high levels of this fatty acid in milk and the safflower oil diet, high in 18[ratio ]2, resulted in a milk fat with high levels of 18[ratio ]2. These results show that there is regulation of SCD at the transcriptional level, associated with changes in enzyme activity and in milk fat composition.