title: Assessment of blood measures of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with acute fish oil supplementation and washout in men and women.
abstract: Changes in n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA, > or =20 carbons and > or =3 carbon-carbon double bonds) at baseline, during fish oil supplementation (4 weeks) and during washout (8 weeks) were compared in venous plasma, erythrocytes, whole blood and fingertip prick blood (weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12) with additional weekly fingertip prick samples. Correlations between the various blood fractions were slightly stronger when n-3 HUFA status was expressed as the percentage of n-3 HUFA in total HUFA as compared with the sum of EPA and DHA. Increases and decreases in n-3 HUFA were more dramatic in plasma, and EPA responded rapidly (within 1 week) with fish oil supplementation and cessation. Sex differences in the proportions of n-3 HUFA in blood were also apparent at baseline with females (n=7) having a tendency for higher docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) relative to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-3, 22:5n-3) as compared with males (n=9). Further n-3 biomarker research in larger populations is required.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutritional and Nutraceutical Research, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Metherel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid