title: The effects of a diet rich in docosahexaenoic acid on organ and vascular fatty acid composition in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Previous research has shown that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) attenuates the development of high blood pressure in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary DHA on organ and vascular fatty acid composition in SHR. Given the important structural and functional role of fatty acids in cell membranes, alterations in fatty acid composition may contribute to the antihypertensive effect of DHA. SHR were fed a purified diet containing either a corn/soybean oil mixture (CSO, control) or a DHA-enriched oil for 6 weeks. The DHA diet markedly increased the levels of DHA in the aorta, renal artery, plasma, liver, heart, kidney, and lung by 5-, 15-, 7-, 6-, 3.8-, 3.5-, and 8.8-fold (P<0.001), respectively. The levels of eicosapentaenoic acid were also increased while there was a concomitant reduction in arachidonic and adrenic acids. Therefore, dietary DHA increases the incorporation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in specific organs and vascular tissue in SHR at the expense of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0610, USA. marguerite.engler@nursing.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Engler
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Engler
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kroetz
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Boswell
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neeley
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Krassner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids