Summary
The influence of a diet rich in linseed oil (10 % in weight) with a content of 61.2 % of α-linolenic fatty acid on blood pressure and complex blood viscosity was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats. A decrease in blood pressure by 59 mm Hg was found compared to the age-matched, untreated control group. The viscous (η′) and elastic (η′) components of viscosity were also reduced at various shear rates (\(\dot \gamma \)). The same applies to the aggregation index, which is a measure of the aggregation tendency of red blood cells (RBC).
Of course, the effects on blood viscosity cannot explain the observed degree of blood-pressure lowering. Nevertheless, a decrease in the viscosity can improve the flow conditions in the microcirculation, which may lead to a better oxygen supply.
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Supported by the Alfred-Teufel-Stiftung.
This study is part of the unpublished doctoral thesis of M. Schäch
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Dierberger, B., Schäch, M., Anadere, I. et al. Effect of a diet rich in linseed oil on complex viscosity and blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Basic Res Cardiol 86, 561–566 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190706
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190706