title: Omega-3 fatty acids ameliorate atherosclerosis by favorably altering monocyte subsets and limiting monocyte recruitment to aortic lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fish oil, containing omega-3 fatty acids, attenuates atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acid-enriched oils are atheroprotective through alteration of monocyte subsets and their trafficking into atherosclerotic lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout and apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice were fed diets containing 10% (calories) palm oil and 0.2% cholesterol, supplemented with an additional 10% palm oil, echium oil (containing 18:4 n-3), or fish oil. Compared with palm oil-fed low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice, echium oil and fish oil significantly reduced plasma cholesterol, splenic Ly6C(hi) monocytosis by ≈50%, atherosclerosis by 40% to 70%, monocyte trafficking into the aortic root by ≈50%, and atherosclerotic lesion macrophage content by 30% to 44%. In contrast, atherosclerosis and monocyte trafficking into the artery wall was not altered by omega-3 fatty acids in apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice; however, Ly6C(hi) splenic monocytes positively correlated with aortic root intimal area across all diet groups. In apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice, fish oil reduced the percentage of blood Ly6C(hi) monocytes, despite an average 2-fold higher plasma cholesterol relative to palm oil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of splenic Ly6C(hi) monocytes parallels the appearance of atherosclerotic disease in both low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout and apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids favorably alter monocyte subsets independently from effects on plasma cholesterol and reduce monocyte recruitment into atherosclerotic lesions.
authors: Department of Pathology, Section on Lipid Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1040, USA.
authors: Amanda L
authors: AL
authors: Brown
authors: Xuewei
authors: X
authors: Zhu
authors: Shunxing
authors: S
authors: Rong
authors: Swapnil
authors: S
authors: Shewale
authors: Jeongmin
authors: J
authors: Seo
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Boudyguina
authors: Abraham K
authors: AK
authors: Gebre
authors: Martha A
authors: MA
authors: Alexander-Miller
authors: John S
authors: JS
authors: Parks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000097:blood; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D036661:Echium; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000950:Antigens, Ly; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015415:Biomarkers; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; C494192:Ly-6C antigen, mouse; D010938:Plant Oils; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D000073878:Palm Oil