title: The effect of dietary N-3 fatty acids on osmotic fragility and membrane fluidity of human erythrocytes.
abstract: Sixteen healthy females were randomly assigned to receive fish oil or corn oil double blind in a 28 days intervention period. Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes was decreased in the fish-oil supplemented group and not affected in the corn-oil group. The decrease in osmotic fragility was maximal after 14 days and approached the pre-intervention level after 24 and 28 days of n-3 supplementation. No change was observed in erythrocyte membrane fluidity in either of the groups. The level of n-3 fatty acids increased significantly in erythrocytes from the fish oil supplemented subjects, mainly at the expense of linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) and oleic acid (18:1). No significant change was seen in the relative amount of arachidonic acid (20:4,n-6) or in the phospholipid/cholesterol ratio in erythrocytes, while the ratio between the sum of phoshatidylcholine and sphingomyeline/phosphatidylethanolamine (PC+SM/PE) increased during the intervention period. This study does not verify the hypothesis of a relationship between osmotic fragility and membrane fluidity. It is concluded that increased level of n-3 fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes decreases osmotic fragility, and that this effect is counteracted by increased PC+SM/PE ratio.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Oslo, National Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hagve
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grønn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000494:pharmacology; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood; D009996:Osmotic Fragility; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D014810:Vitamin E; D003314:Corn Oil