Objective To investigate the effects of essential fatty acids(EFA)on the contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the brain tissues of rats. Methods A total of 30 neonatal rats, 1 month old, were randomly divided into normal, EFA deficiency and fish oil supplement groups and given different feeding stuff for 3 months respectively. The contents of EPA and DHA in brain tissues were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results As compared with normal group, the contents of EPA and DHA in EFA deficient group were significantly decreased(P