title: Long-term melatonin administration increases polyunsaturated fatty acid percentage in plasma lipids of hypercholesterolemic rats.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the effect of melatonin on the fatty acid composition of plasma and tissue lipids. Melatonin administration to rats fed with a standard diet only increased long-chain n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in total plasma lipids and liver phospholipids but induced significant changes in hypercholesterolemic rats. In plasma, palmitoleic and oleic acids increased and n-6 and n-3 PUFA decreased in hypercholesterolemic rats; theses changes were reversed by melatonin administration. The analysis of lipid fractions revealed that only the cholesteryl ester fraction was affected by melatonin. Histological studies of the carotid artery intima revealed the appearance, in hypercholesterolemic rats, of fatty streaks produced by a mass of foam cells covered by the endothelium and by a thin layer of mononucleated cells. These changes were prevented by melatonin. We conclude that long-term melatonin administration modifies the fatty acid composition of rat plasma and liver lipids and ameliorates the arterial fatty infiltration induced by cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Seville School of Medicine and Virgen Macarena Hospital, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pita
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoyos
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martin-Lacave
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osuna
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Santos
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guerrero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D008550:Melatonin