Effects of feeding lysine-deficient diet on the metabolism of lipids in various tissues of rats.

32 weanling male albino rats were divided into 4 groups to study the effects of lysine-deficient wheat diet (AW) and AW supplemented with either 0.4% lysine (LW) or 0.2% carnitine (CW) as compared to casein diet on metabolism of lipids in various tissues. LW, CW and casein diet groups were pair-fed with AW group. Changes in total lipids, lipid components, individual fatty acids, mitochondrial content in liver, heart, skeletal muscles, lungs and adipose tissue were determined after 8 weeks of feeding. AW diet resulted in accumulation of lipids (mainly acylglycerols) in heart, liver, skeletal muscles and depletion in adipose tissue. The LW and CW diets reversed the effects of AW diet, the CW being more effective than LW diet. The LW and CW diets increased the relative proportion of C 14:0, C 16:0, C 16:1 and decreased that of C18:1, C18:2; C18:3 fatty acids which were decreased and increased respectively, on the AW and casein diets. The fatty acids composition of adipose tissue was the same in all the groups. The AW diet increased the relative proportions of C 14:0, C 20:4 and decreased that of C 16:0, C 16:1, C 18:3 fatty acids in the lungs. Supplemented AW diet decreased the relative proportions of the former group and increased that of the later group including C 18:1 fatty acid also. The mitochondrial content of liver, heart, skeletal muscles and lungs was decreased on AW and reversed on LW and CW diets.