Dependence on dietary cholesterol for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-induced changes in plasma cholesterol in the Syrian hamster.
Male Syrian hamsters consumed diets containing incremental increases in dietary n-3 fatty acids from fish oil with either low (0.015% w/w) or moderate (0.1% w/w) dietary cholesterol content. Animals consuming diets containing moderate cholesterol, but not animals consuming diets containing low cholesterol, had increased plasma very low (VLDL)- and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels with increasing fish oil consumption. The plasma concentration of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol decreased by 43 and 32% with the consumption of the highest fish oil diets in the low and moderate dietary cholesterol groups, respectively. Hepatic LDL-receptor binding activity did not change with the consumption of low cholesterol diets, but gradually decreased with fish oil consumption in animals consuming the moderate cholesterol diets. Hepatic LDL-receptor binding and plasma LDL-cholesterol levels of the different dietary fish oil groups were highly correlated (r = -0.91). Fish oil consumption also caused an increase in hepatic free cholesterol but a decreased cholesteryl ester content. Therefore, in the Syrian hamster, the consumption of n-3 fatty acids increases LDL-cholesterol levels which can be partially explained by decreased hepatic LDL-receptor binding and this response to dietary n-3 fatty acids is dependent on the dietary cholesterol content. However, the effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on HDL-cholesterol are independent of dietary cholesterol content.
Surette
M E
ME
Lipids Research Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Whelan
J
J
Lu
G P
GP
Broughton
K S
KS
Kinsella
J E
JE
D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000378:metabolism
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol