Abstract
A predominance of small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) represents a significant source of increased risk for the development of coronary heart disease in Westernized countries. Dietary long-chain n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exert a potent triglyceride-lowering effect that redistributes LDL subfractions toward larger and lighter particles. These dietary fatty acids thus have a key role to play in providing protection against this particularly atherogenic type of LDL.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ALP:
-
atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype
- apo:
-
apolipoprotein
- AUC:
-
area under the curve
- C:
-
cholesterol
- CETP:
-
cholesteryl ester transfer protein
- CHD:
-
coronary heart disease
- CM:
-
chylomicrons
- CMR:
-
chylomicron remnant
- HDL:
-
high density lipoprotein
- HTG:
-
hypertriglyceridemia
- IAUC:
-
incremental area under the curve
- LDL:
-
low density lipoprotein
- LPL:
-
lipoprotein lipase
- NEFA:
-
nonesterified fatty acids
- PUFA:
-
polyunsaturated fatty acids
- TAG:
-
triacylglycerols
- VLDL:
-
very low density lipoprotein
References
GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators (1999) Dietary Supplementation with n−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamin E After Myocardial Infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione Trial, Lancet 354, 447–455.
Bang, H.O., Dyerberg, J., and Hjorne, N. (1976) The Composition of Food Consumed by the Greenland Eskimos, Acta Med. Scand. 200, 69–73.
Stamler, J., Wentworth, D., Neaton, J.D., and the MRFIT Research Group (1986) Is the Relationship Between Serum Cholesterol and Risk of Premature Death from Coronary Heart Disease Continuous and Graded? The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 256, 2823–2828.
Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Group (1994) Randomized Trial of Cholesterol Lowering in 4444 Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: The Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S), Lancet 344, 383–389.
Shepherd, J., Cobbe, S.M., Ford, I., Isles, C.G., Lorimer, A.R., MacFarlane, P.W., McKillop, J.H., and Packard, C.J. (1995) Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease with Pravastatin in Men with Hypercholesterolaemia: West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group, N. Engl. J. Med. 333, 1301–1307.
Fruchart, J.C., and Packard, C.J. (1997) Is Cholesterol the Major Lipoprotein Risk Factor in Coronary Heart Disease?—A Franco-Scottish Overview, Curr. Med. Res. Opin. 13 603–616.
Hokanson, J., and Austin, M.A. (1996) Plasma Triglyceride Level Is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease Independent of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: A Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Prospective Studies, J. Cardiovasc. Risk 3, 213–219.
Griffin, B.A. (1997) Low-Density Lipoprotein Subclasses: Mechanisms of Formation and Modulation, Proc. Nutr. Soc. 56, 693–702.
Austin, M.A., King, M.C., Vranizan, K.M., and Krauss, R.M. (1990) Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype. A Proposed Genetic Marker for Coronary Heart Disease, Circulation 82, 495–506.
Griffin, B.A., Freeman, D.J., Tait, G.W., Thomson, J., Packard, C.J., and Shepherd, J. (1994) Role of Plasma Triglyceride in the Regulation of Plasma Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Subfractions: Relative Contribution of Small, Dense LDL to Coronary Heart Disease Risk, Atherosclerosis 106, 241–253.
Austin, M.A., Breslow, J.L., Hennekens, C.H., Buring, J.E., Willett, W.C., and Krauss, R.M. (1988) Low Density Lipoprotein Subclass Patterns and Risk of Myocardial Infarction, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 260, 1917–1921.
Gardner, C.D., Fortmann, S.P., and Krauss, R.M. (1996) Association of Small, Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles with the Incidence of Coronary Artery Disease in Men and Women, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 276, 875–881.
Stampfer, M.J., Krauss, R.M., Blanche, P.J., Holl, L.G., Sacks, F.M., and Hennekens, C.H. (1996) A Prospective Study of Triglyceride Level, Low Density Lipoprotein Particle Diameter, and Risk of Myocardial Infarction, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 276, 882–888.
Nordestgaard, B.G., and Nielsen, L.B. (1994) Atherosclerosis and Arterial Influx of Lipoproteins, Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 5, 252–257.
Anber, V., Griffin, B.A., McConnell, M., Packard, C.J., and Shepherd, J. (1996) Influence of Plasma Lipid and LDL-Subfraction Profile on the Interaction Between Low Density Lipoprotein with Human Arterial Wall Proteoglycans, Atherosclerosis 124, 261–271.
Chait, A., Brazg, R.L., Tribble, D., and Krauss, R.M. (1993) Susceptibility of Small, Dense Low Density Lipoproteins to Oxidative Modification in Subjects with the Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype, Pattern B, Am. J. Med. 94, 350–356.
Sniderman, A., Shapiro, S., Marpole, D., Skinner, B., Teng, B., and Kwiterovich, P.O. (1980) Association of Coronary Atherosclerosis with Hyperapobetalipoproteinemia (increased protein but normal cholesterol levels) in Human Plasma Low Density (beta) Lipoprotein, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 604–608.
Griffin, B.A., Minihane, A.M., Furlonger, N., Chapman, C., Murphy, M., Williams, D., Wright, J.W., and Williams, C.M. (1999) Inter-Relationships Between Small, Dense LDL, Plasma Triglyceride and LDL Apoprotein B in an Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype (ALP) in Free-Living Subjects, Clin. Sci. 97, 269–276.
Packard, C.J., and Shepherd, J. (1997) Lipoprotein Heterogeneity and Apolipoprotein B Metabolism, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17, 3542–3556.
Zilversmit, D.B. (1979) Atherogenesis: A Postprandial Phenomenon, Circulation 60, 473–485.
Sethi, S., Gibney, M.J., and Williams, C.M. (1993) Postprandial Lipoprotein Metabolism, Nutr. Res. Rev. 6, 161–183.
Gianturco, S.H., and Bradley, W.A. (1991) A Cellular Basis for the Atherogenicity of Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins, in Atherosclerosis Reviews. Triglycerides: The Role in Diabetes and Atherosclerosis, (Gotto, A.M., and Paoletti, R., eds.) pp. 9–14 Raven Press, New York.
Brunzell, J.D., Hazzard, W.R., Porte, D., and Bierman, E.L. (1973) Evidence for a Common, Saturable, Triglyceride Removal Mechanism for Chylomicrons and Very Low Density Lipoprotein in Man, J. Clin. Invest. 52, 1578–1585.
Despres, J.P., and Marette, A. (1994) Relation of Components of Insulin Resistance to Coronary Heart Disease, Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 5, 274–289.
Cabezas, M.C., Bruin, T.W.A., Jansen, H., Kock, L.A.W., Kortlandt W., and Erkelens, D.W. (1993) Impaired Chylomicron Remnant Clearance in Familial Combined Hyperlipidaemia, Arterioscler. Thromb. 13, 804–814.
Barbirak, S.P., Brown, B.G., and Brunzell, J.D. (1992) Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia and Abnormal Lipoprotein Lipase, Arterioscler. Thromb. 12, 1176–1183.
Bjorkegren, J., Packard, C.J., Hamsten, A., Bedford, D., Caslake, M.J., Foster, L., Shepherd, J., Stewart, P., and Karpe, F. (1996) Accumulation of Large Very Low Density Lipoprotein in Plasma During Intravenous Infusion of a Chylomicron-Like Triglyceride Emulsion Reflects Competition for a Common Lipolytic Pathway, J. Lipid Res. 37, 76–86.
Schneeman, B.O., Kotite, L., Todd, K.M., and Havel, R.J. (1992) Relationships Between the Responses of Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins in Blood Plasma Containing Apolipoproteins B-48 and B-100 to a Fat-Containing Meal in Normolipidemic Humans, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 2069–2073.
Harris, W.S. (1989) Fish Oils and Plasma Lipid and Lipoprotein Metabolism in Humans: A Critical Review, J. Lipid Res. 30, 785–807.
Harris, W.S., Connor, W.E., Alam, N., and Illingworth, D.R. (1988) Reduction of Postprandial Triglyceridemia in Humans by Dietary n−3 Fatty Acids, J. Lipid Res. 29, 1451–1460.
Baumstark, M.W., Frey, I., Berg A., and Keul, J. (1992) Influence of n−3 Fatty Acids from Fish Oils on Concentration of High- and Low-Density Lipoprotein Subfractions and Their Lipid and Apoprotein Composition, Clin. Biochem. 25, 338–340.
Nestel, P.J., Connor, W.E., Reardon, M.F., Connor, S., Wong, S., and Boston, R. (1984) Suppression by Diets Rich in Fish Oil of Very Low Density Lipoprotein Production in Man, J. Clin. Invest. 74, 82–89.
Rustan, A.C., Nossen, J.O., Chrisriansen, E.N., and Drevon, C.A. (1988) Eicosapentaenoic Acid Reduces Hepatic Synthesis and Secretion of Triacylglycerol by Decreasing the Activity of Acyl-coenzyme A:1,2-Diacylglycerol-acyltransferase, J. Lipid Res. 29, 1417–1426.
Frayn, K.N. (1993) Insulin Resistance and Lipid Metabolism, Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 4, 197–204.
Storlien, L.H., Jenkins, A.B., Chisholm, D.J., Pascoe, W.S., Kouri, S., and Kraegen, E.W. (1991) Influence of Dietary Fat Composition on Development of Insulin Resistance in Rats. Relation to Muscle Triglyceride and ω-3 Fatty Acids in Muscle Phospholipid, Diabetes 40, 280–289.
Minihane, A.M., Khan, S., Leigh-Firbank, E.C., Talmud, P., Wright, J.W., Murphy, M.C., Griffin, B.A., and Williams, C.M. (2000) ApoE Polymorphism and Fish Oil Supplementation in Subjects with an Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 20, 1990–1997.
Griffin, B.A., Caslake, M.J., Yip, B., Tait, G.W., Caslake, M.J., Packard, C.J., and Shepherd, J. (1990) Rapid Isolation of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Subfractions from Plasma by Density Gradient Ultracentrifugation, Atherosclerosis 83, 59–67.
Chapman, M.J., Laplaud, P.M., Luc, G., Forgez, P., Bruckert, E., Goulinet, S., and Lagrange, D. (1988) Further Resolution of the Low Density Lipoprotein Spectrum in Normal Human Plasma: Physicochemical Characteristics of Discrete Subspecies Separated by Density Gradient Ultracentrifugation, J. Lipid Res. 29, 442–458.
Nigon, F., Lesnik, P., Rouis, M., and Chapman, M.J. (1991) Discrete Subspecies of Human Low Density Lipoproteins Are Heterogeneous in Their Interaction with the Cellular LDL Receptor, J. Lipid Res. 32, 1741–1753.
Utermann, G. (1987) Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism and Hyperlipidaemia, Hum. Genet. 65, 232–236.
Manttari, M., Koskinen, P., Enholm, C. Huttunen, J.K., and Manninen, V. (1991) Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism Influences the Serum Cholesterol Response to Dietary Intervention, Metabolism 40, 217–221.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Griffin, B.A. The effect of n−3 fatty acids on low density lipoprotein subfractions. Lipids 36 (Suppl 1), S91–S97 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0688-6
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0688-6