POSITIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FATTY-ACIDS IN RABBIT LUNG PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND TRIACYLGLYCEROLS AND EFFECT OF PROLONGED HYPEROXY

In the phosphatidylcholine fraction, the high O2 concentration caused a quantitative increase of palmitic acid (16:0) at the .alpha.-position, and of myristic (14:0), heptadecenic (17:1) and arachidonic (20:4) acids at the .beta.-position. In the phosphatidylethanolamine fraction, the high O2 concentration caused an increase of oleic acid (18:1) at the .alpha.-position, and of palmitoleic(16:1) and heptadecenic (17:1) acids at the .beta.-position. In the triacylglycerol fraction, such changes were not observed. The possible influence of O2 on membrane structures in the lung was discussed.