title: Stearoyl-CoA desaturase indexes and n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio as biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk factors in normal-weight rabbits fed high fat diets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors would be important tools to maximize the effectiveness of dietary interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the aim of this work was to analyze stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) indexes and n-6/n-3 fatty acids (FA) ratio as biomarkers of CMR induced by feeding rabbits on high fat diets (HFDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbits were fed either regular diet or 18 % fat in regular diet (HFD) or 1 % cholesterol diet (HD) or diet containing 1 % cholesterol and 18 % fat (HFD-HD) during 6 weeks. Body weights (BW), blood pressure, visceral abdominal fat (VAF) and glucose tolerance test were determined. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose (FG), and FA levels from plasma were measured. SCD indexes were calculated as product/precursor ratios of individual FA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BW was similar in all diet groups. HD increased TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG. HFD increased TG, VAF and FG, and decreased HDL-C. The addition of HFD to HD joined to dyslipidemia increased VAF and FG. SCD indexes were increased and n-6/n-3 was unchanged in HD. SCD indexes were reduced and n-6/n-3 FA ratio was increased in HFD and HFD-HD. CMR factors were correlated positively with n-6/n-3 FA ratio. Although VAF had a stronger correlation with n-6/n-3 FA ratio than with SCD indexes, VAF was associated independently to both markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HFD simulating lipid composition of the average Western-style diet induced experimental rabbit models of normal-weight metabolic syndrome (MS). SCD indexes and n-6/n-3 were modified according to the type of dietary fat. Considering that VAF and CMR factors appear to be stronger associated to n-6/n-3 FA ratio than to SCD indexes, n-6/n-3 FA ratio may be a better biomarker of MS and CMR in normal-weight subjects than SCD indexes.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO, UNT-CONICET), Av Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO, UNT-CONICET), Av Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Julieta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roco
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Analia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.|Centro de Referencias para Lactobacilos (CERELA, CONICET), Chacabuco 145, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwenhove
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mirta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO, UNT-CONICET), Av Independencia 1800, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina. sjerez@herrera.unt.edu.ar.|Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina. sjerez@herrera.unt.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jerez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase