title: Ameliorative effects of docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipid changes in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: It has been shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has numerous physiological actions. However, the precise mechanism of these actions is still obscure, and DHA is not yet regarded as a drug. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effects of long-term administration of DHA on the serum lipid concentrations in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SPSHR). SPSHR was selected because serum lipid derangement is one of the primary risk factors in the development and maintenance of hypertension. DHA-treated SPSHR showed significantly lower blood pressure when compared with that of non-treated SPSHR; total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and lipid peroxide levels were significantly decreased in DHA-treated SPSHR. On the other hand, the high density lipoprotein concentrations tended to increase in DHA-treated SPSHR when compared with those in non-treated SPSHR. These findings suggest that long-term administration of DHA has a protective effect against serum lipid derangement in SPSHR. This DHA-induced amelioration of serum lipid changes in SPSHR might be associated with mechanisms involving the antihypertensive action induced by DHA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D008055:Lipids; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002784:Cholesterol