Changes in lipid composition of hepatocyte plasma membrane induced by overfeeding in duck

This experiment was carried out to examine the influence of overfeeding ducks with corn on the lipid composition of hepatocyte plasma membrane. Seventy-day-old male Mule ducks (Cairina moschata x Anas platyrhynchos) were overfed with corn for 12.5 days in order to induce fatty livers. The cholesterol and phospholipid contents were approximately 50% higher in hepatocyte plasma membranes from fatty livers compared to those of lean livers obtained from non-overfed ducks. However, the cholesterol/phospholipids molar ratio did not differ between both groups. Overfeeding induced a significant change in phospholipid composition of hepatocyte plasma membrane with a decrease in phosphatidylcholine proportion and conversely an increase in phosphatidylethanolamine. The fatty acid profile of phospholipids was also altered. In fatty hepatocyte plasma membrane, the overall proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was decreased and this was due to the decrease of some of, but not all, the PUFA. In addition, the proportions of oleic acid and n-9 series unsaturated fatty acids were higher in fatty than in lean liver membranes. This study provides evidence that overfeeding with a carbohydrate-rich corn-based diet induces a de novo hepatic lipogenesis in Mule duck which predominates over dietary lipid intake to change the lipid composition of the hepatocyte plasma membrane.