Dietary n-3 LCPUFA from fish oil but not alpha-linolenic acid-derived LCPUFA confers atheroprotection in mice.

Abstract

The atheroprotective potential of n-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has not yet been fully determined, even in murine models of atherosclerosis. We tested whether ALA-derived, n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) could offer atheroprotection in a dose-dependent manner. Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)100/100LDLr-/- mice were fed with diets containing two levels of ALA from flaxseed oil for 16 weeks. Fish oil- and cis-monounsaturated-fat-enriched diets were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The mice fed cis-monounsaturated fat and ALA-enriched diets exhibited equivalent plasma total cholesterol (TPC) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) levels; only mice fed the fish-oil diet had lower TPC and LDL-c concentrations. Plasma LDL-CE fatty acid composition analysis showed that ALA-enriched diets lowered the percentage of atherogenic cholesteryl oleate compared with cis-monounsaturated-fat diet (44% versus 55.6%) but not as efficiently as the fish-oil diet (32.4%). Although both ALA and fish-oil diets equally enriched hepatic phospholipids with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and ALA-enriched diets lowered hepatic cholesteryl ester (CE) levels compared with cis-monounsaturated-fat diet, only fish oil strongly protected from atherosclerosis. These outcomes indicate that dietary n-3 LCPUFA from fish oil and n-3 LCPUFA (mostly EPA) synthesized endogenously from ALA were not equally atheroprotective in these mice.

• Authors: Chiara Degirolamo, Kathryn L Kelley, Martha D Wilson, Lawrence L Rudel
• Journal: Journal of lipid research (J Lipid Res) Vol. 51 Issue 7 Pg. 1897-905 (Jul 2010) ISSN: 1539-7262 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20154006 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Apolipoproteins B
• Dietary Fats, Unsaturated
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3
• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
• Fish Oils
• Receptors, LDL
• alpha-Linolenic Acid
• Cholesterol

Topics

• Animals
• Apolipoproteins B (metabolism)
• Atherosclerosis (prevention & control)
• Cholesterol (metabolism)
• Dietary Fats, Unsaturated (metabolism)
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3 (metabolism)
• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated (metabolism)
• Female
• Fish Oils (metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Receptors, LDL (genetics, metabolism)
• alpha-Linolenic Acid (metabolism)