The cardiovascular protective role of docosahexaenoic acid.
Dietary fish oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can modulate a diverse range of factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. This study examined the relative roles of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3; DHA) which are the principal n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids regarded as candidates for cardioprotective actions. At low dietary intakes (0.4-1.1% of energy (%en)), docosahexaenoic acid but not eicosapentaenoic acid inhibited ischaemia-induced cardiac arrhythmias. At intakes of 3.9-10.0%en, docosahexaenoic acid was more effective than eicosapentaenoic acid at retarding hypertension development in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and inhibiting thromboxane-like vasoconstrictor responses in aortas from SHR. In stroke-prone SHR with established hypertension, docosahexaenoic acid (3.9-10.0%en) retarded the development of salt-loading induced proteinuria but eicosapentaenoic acid alone was ineffective. The results demonstrate that purified n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids mimic the cardiovascular actions of fish oils and imply that docosahexaenoic acid may be the principal active component conferring cardiovascular protection.
McLennan
P
P
CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Howe
P
P
Abeywardena
M
M
Muggli
R
R
Raederstorff
D
D
Mano
M
M
Rayner
T
T
Head
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013045:Species Specificity
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid