title: Lower omega-3 index is a marker of increased propensity of hypertensive rat heart to malignant arrhythmias.
abstract: Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA) are important components of cell membrane affecting its function and their deficiency is deleterious to health. We have previously shown that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are prone to life-threatening arrhythmias that are reduced by omega-3 PUFA intake. Purpose of this study was to explore plasma and red blood cells (RBC) profile of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA as well as to determine omega-3 index, a risk factor for sudden cardiac death, in aged SHR and the effect of omega-3 PUFA intake. Male and female 12-month-old SHR and age-matched Wistar rats fed with omega-3 PUFA (200 mg/kg BW/day/2 month) were compared with untreated rats. Composition of omega-3 PUFA: alpha linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as well as omega-6 PUFA: linoleic acid and arachidonic acid was analyzed by gas chromatography. Results showed sex- and strain-related differences of basal omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA levels in plasma and RBC as well as in response to omega-3 PUFA intake. Comparing to Wistar rats omega-3 index, expressed as a percentage of EPA+DHA of total fatty acids, was lower in SHR and it increased due to consumption of omega-3 PUFA. Findings support our hypothesis that lower omega-3 index may be also a marker of increased propensity of the hypertensive rat heart to malignant arrhythmias.
authors: Institute for Heart Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, narcisa.tribulova@savba.sk.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Bačová
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Seč
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Radošinská
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Certík
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Vachulová
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Tribulová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3