title: Ectopic calcification of rat aortas and kidneys is reduced with n-3 fatty acid supplementation.
abstract: Supplementation with essential fatty acids has been shown to prevent the experimentally induced ectopic calcification of the kidneys known as nephrocalcinosis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a semi-synthetic diet supplemented with different essential fatty acids while being injected for a period of 10 days with calcium glubionate. After 3 weeks their kidneys and aorta were removed and the respective calcium content measured compared to the control, saline injected animals. Lipoic acid-EPA, fish oil (EPA rich) as well as the EPA monoester reduced the calcium concentration of both the kidneys and the aorta towards control values. Lipoic-EPA was the best absorbed of the three compounds and its combination of anti-oxidant together with EPA lowered the calcium content of both the aortas and the kidneys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Schlemmer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coetzer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Claassen
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rademeyer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Jaarsveld
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Smuts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009397:Nephrocalcinosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D015777:Eicosanoids; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014312:Trisaccharides; C042131:calcium glubionate; D002118:Calcium