[Analysis of fatty acids in rat liver peroxisomes]

Peroxisomes of rat liver from normal and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)-treated animals were isolated by density gradient centrifuge method. The fatty acids in the liver peroxisomes were extracted with chloroform and methanol, and were esterified with boron trifluoride and methanol. The fatty acids methyl esters were separated on SPB-1 (similar to SE-30, OV-101) capillary column, and were determined using heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) as an internal standard for the eleven fatty acids (C10:0-C22:6) in these peroxisomes by gas chromatography. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to total fatty acids in the control was significantly less than that in DEHP-treated animals (P < 0.05), but there was no difference between the control and DEHP-treated animals for the content of total fatty acids and the ratio of long chain fatty acids to total fatty acids. The results show that DEHP-treatment can alter the fatty acid composition of peroxisome. The membrane structure of the treated peroxisome was different to that of the control.