Influence of litter size on lipid composition in infant mice

The amount of milk available to each member of the litter was varied by adjusting the number of mice pups to 4, 8 or 12 per dam. The total fatty acid content of the carcass of the young increased for 2 weeks, and there was more in the well-fed groups. The fatty acid contents decreased thereafter transiently in all groups until weaning. The milk diet contributed major quantities of lauric and myristic acids to peripheral tissues but not to the liver. Undernourishment during neonatal life was associated with a relative reduction in palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids in lipids of the carcass. In contrast the carcass of the progeny subjected to overall dietary abundance showed relative increase in palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids at the expense of stearic acid.