title: Alpha-linolenic acid-enriched diet prevents myocardial damage and expands longevity in cardiomyopathic hamsters.
abstract: Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that the increased intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly reduces the risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease, but no investigations have been performed in hereditary cardiomyopathies with diffusely damaged myocardium. In the present study, delta-sarcoglycan-null cardiomyopathic hamsters were fed from weaning to death with an alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-enriched versus standard diet. Results demonstrated a great accumulation of ALA and eicosapentaenoic acid and an increased eicosapentaenoic/arachidonic acid ratio in cardiomyopathic hamster hearts, correlating with the preservation of myocardial structure and function. In fact, ALA administration preserved plasmalemma and mitochondrial membrane integrity, thus maintaining proper cell/extracellular matrix contacts and signaling, as well as a normal gene expression profile (myosin heavy chain isoforms, atrial natriuretic peptide, transforming growth factor-beta1) and a limited extension of fibrotic areas within ALA-fed cardiomyopathic hearts. Consequently, hemodynamic indexes were safeguarded, and more than 60% of ALA-fed animals were still alive (mean survival time, 293+/-141.8 days) when all those fed with standard diet were deceased (mean survival time, 175.9+/-56 days). Therefore, the clinically evident beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are mainly related to preservation of myocardium structure and function and the attenuation of myocardial fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Cardiologia Molecolare e Cellulare, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiaccavento
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carotenuto
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minieri
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masuelli
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vecchini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bei
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Modesti
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Binaglia
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carosella
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Nardo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000178:diet therapy*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006224:Cricetinae; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008136:Longevity; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid