title: Eicosapentaenoic acid causes transient accumulation of lipids in rat myocardium.
abstract: Rats were given eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or palmitic acid (PALM) up to 15 days, and control animals were given carboxymethylcellulose. All suspensions which were given by gastric intubation contained tocopherol. Heart triacylglycerols, heart cholesterol and heart phospholipids significantly increased after one day of EPA treatment, but they were normalized within 15 days. Both after 2 and 10 days of treatment with palmitic acid the heart triacylglycerols were significantly greater than control. The heart cholesterol and heart phospholipids were significantly greater than control after 10 days of treatment with palmitic acid. Total carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity in heart was significantly greater in rats treated with EPA for 15 days compared to control, but treatment with palmitic acid had no effect. The fatty acyl-CoA oxidase activity was greater in rats treated with EPA for 15 days and palmitic acid for 10 days compared to control. The fractional volume of lipid droplets in myocardial cells was calculated from electronmicrographs and was 0.112 +/- 0.016% after 1 day of EPA treatment compared to 0.035 +/- 0.016% in the control group. After 5 and 15 days the fractional volume was the same as control. The fractional volume of lipid droplets in rats treated with palmitic acid for 10 days was 0.120 +/- 0.023%. Treatment with EPA caused an immediate accumulation of lipids and lipid droplets in the rat heart which after few days normalized in parallel with an increased activity of total CPT in the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hexeberg
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Willumsen
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Berge
mesh_terms: D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase; D000818:Animals; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010169:Palmitic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase