title: Repletion with (n-3) fatty acids reverses bone structural deficits in (n-3)-deficient rats.
abstract: (n-3) PUFA deficiency and repletion effects on bone mechanical properties have not been examined. The primary research aim was to evaluate whether changes in the fatty acid composition of bone tissue compartments previously reported to influence bone formation rates would affect bone modeling and mechanical properties. In this investigation, three groups of rats were studied, second generation (n-3)-deficient, (n-3)-repleted, and a control (n-3)-adequate. The (n-3)-adequate diet contained alpha-linolenic acid [LNA, 18:3(n-3), 2.6% of total fatty acids] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6(n-3), 1.3% of total fatty acids]. Fatty acid composition of the hindlimb tissues (bone and muscle) of chronically (n-3)-deficient rats revealed a marked increase in (n-6) PUFA [20:4(n-6), 22:4(n-6), and 22:5(n-6)] and a corresponding decrease in (n-3) PUFA [18:3(n-3), 20:5(n-3), 22:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3)]. Measurement of bone mechanical properties (energy to peak load) of tibiae showed that (n-3) deficiency diminished structural integrity. Rats repleted with (n-3) fatty acids demonstrated accelerated bone modeling (cross-sectional geometry) and an improved second moment in tibiae compared with control (n-3)-adequate rats after 28 d of dietary treatment. This study showed that repletion with dietary (n-3) fatty acids restored the ratio of (n-6)/(n-3) PUFA in bone compartments and reversed compromised bone modeling in (n-3)-deficient rats.
authors.affiliation: Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health, Lipid Chemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reinwald
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3