Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antihypertensive effects of a dietary unsaturated FA mixture in spontaneously hypertensive rats

  • Articles
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a mixture of dietary n−6 and n−3 PUFA could lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of different ages. In addition, we studied how such a treatment could normalize the FA composition of plasma TAG and cholesterol esters (CE), and of red blood cell (RBC) total lipids. SHR (ages 4, 19, and 50 wk) were fed a normal diet (control groups) or a semisynthetic diet containing a mixture of γ-linolenic acid (GLA), EPA, and DHA (experimental groups). Systolic blood pressure was measured at regular intervals. After 11 wk of consuming this diet, plasma TAG and CE were separated by TLC and analyzed for their FA composition. Total FA composition of RBC was also determined. The degree to which blood pressure was elevated was reduced in SHR after 11 wk of diet. The largest decrease was obtained with the oldest animals. In RBC, EPA and DHA contents increased. In plasma TAG and CE, EPA, DHA, and GLA increased whereas arachidonic acid decreased. The n−6 and n−3 unsaturated FA mix slowed the development of hypertension in young SHR and decreased blood pressure in adult and aged SHR. In addition, the present treatment altered the n−3 and n−6 PUFA content of SHR lipids to that seen in normotensive rats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CE:

cholesterol ester

DGLA:

dihomo-γ-linolenic acid

GLA:

γ-linolenic acid

RBC:

red blood cells

SHR:

spontaneously hypertensive rat

WKY:

Wistar Kyoto rat

References

  1. Lorenz, R., Spengler, U., Fischer, S., Duhm, J., and Weber, P.C. (1983) Platelet Function, Thromboxane Formation and Blood Pressure Control During Supplementation of the Western Diet with Cod Liver Oil, Circulation 67, 504–511.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Morris, M.C., Sacks, F., and Rosner, B. (1993) Does Fish Oil Lower Blood Pressure? A Meta-analysis of Controlled Trials, Circulation 88, 523–533.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bao, D.Q., Mori, T.A., Burke, V., Puddey, I.B., and Beilin, L.J. (1998) Effects of Dietary Fish and Weight Reduction on Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Overweight Hypertensives, Hypertension 32, 710–717.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Howe, P.R.C., Rogers, P.F., and Lungershausen, Y. (1991) Blood Pressure Reduction by Fish Oil in Adult Rats with Established Hypertension—Dependence on Sodium Intake, Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids 44, 113–117.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yin, K., Chu, Z.M., and Beilin, L.S. (1991) Blood Pressure and Vascular Reactivity Changes in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Fed Fish Oil, Br. J. Pharmacol. 102, 991–997.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bonaa, K.H., Bjerve, K.S., Straume, B., Gram, I.T., and Thelle, D. (1990) Effect of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acids on Blood Pressure in Hypertension. A Population-Based Intervention Trial from the Tromsø Study, N. Engl. J. Med. 322, 795–801.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sasaki, S., Nakamura, K., Uchida, A., Fujita, H., Itoh, H., Nakata, T., Takeda, K., and Nakagawa, M. (1995) Effects of Gamma-Linolenic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids on Blood Pressure in SHR, Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. (Suppl. 1), S306–S307.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Yin, K., Chu, Z.M., and Beilin, L.J. (1990) Effect of Fish Oil Feeding on Blood Pressure and Vascular Reactivity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 17, 235–239.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Flaten, H., Hostmark, A.T., Kierulf, P., Lystad, E., Trygg, K., Bjerkedal, T., and Osland, A. (1990) Fish-Oil Concentrate: Effects on Variables Related to Cardiovascular Disease, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 52, 300–306.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Wing, L.M., Nestel, P.J., Chalmers, J.P., Rouse, I., West, M.J., Bune, A.J., Tonkin, A.L., and Russell, A.E. (1990) Lack of Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation on Blood Pressure in Treated Hypertensives, J. Hypertens. 8, 339–343.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cobiac, L., Clifton, P.M., Abbey, M., Belling, G.B., and Nestel, P.J. (1991) Lipid, Lipoprotein, and Hemostatic Effects of Fish vs. Fish-Oil n−3 Fatty Acids in Mildly Hyperlipidemic Males, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53, 1210–1216.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Narce, M., Frenoux, J.M., Dardel, V., Foucher, C., Germain, S., Delachambre, M.C., and Poisson, J.P. (1997) Fatty Acid Metabolism, Pharmacological Nutrients and Hypertension, Biochimie 79, 135–138.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hamazaki, T., Urakaze, M., Makuta, M., Ozawa, A., Soda, Y., Tatsumi, H., Yano, S., and Kumagai, A. (1987) Intake of Different Eicosapentaenoic Acid-Containing Lipids and Fatty Acid Pattern of Plasma Lipids in the Rats, Lipids 22, 994–998.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rao, C.V., Zang, E., and Reddy, B.S. (1993) Effect of High Corn Oil, Olive Oil and Fish Oil on Phospholipid Fatty Acid Composition in Male F344 Rats, Lipids 28, 441–447.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Prisco, D., Filippini, M., Francalanci, I., Paniccia, R., Gensini, G.F., Abbate, R., and Neri Serneri, G.G. (1996) Effect of n−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake on Phospholipid Fatty Acid Composition in Plasma Erythrocytes, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 63, 925–932.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. McLennan, P., Howe, P., Abeywardena, M., Muggli, R., Raederstorff, D., Mano, M., Rayner, T., and Head, R. (1996) The Cardiovascular Protective Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eur. J. Pharmacol. 300, 83–89.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Schoene, N.W., and Fiore, D. (1981) Effect of a Diet Containing Fish Oil on Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Prog. Lipid Res. 20, 569–570.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Rubin, D., and Laposata, M. (1992) Cellular Interactions Between n−6 and n−3 Fatty Acids: A Mass Analysis of Fatty Acid Elongation/Desaturation, Distribution Among Complex Lipids, and Conversion to Eicosanoids, J. Lipid Res. 33, 1431–1440.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lands, W.E., Libelt, B., Morris, A., Kramer, N.C., Prewitt, T.E., Bowen, P., Schmeisser, D., Davidson, M.H., and Burns, J.H. (1992) Maintenance of Lower Proportions of (n−6) Eicosanoid Precursors in Phospholipids of Human Plasma in Response to Added Dietary (n−3) Fatty Acids, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1180, 147–162.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Watanabe, Y., Huang, Y.-S., Simmons, V.A., and Horrobin, D.F. (1989) The Effect of Dietary n−6 and n−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Blood Pressure and Tissue Fatty Acid Composition in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Lipids 24, 638–644.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kirtland, S.J. (1988) Prostaglandin E1: A Review, Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids 32, 165–174.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mtabaji, J.P., Manku, M.S., and Horrobin, D.F. (1993) Abnormalities in Dihomo-γ-Linolenic Acid: Release in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension, Am. J. Hypertens. 6, 458–462.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Miettinen, T.A., Naukkarinen, V., Huttunen, J.K., Mattilas, J., and Kumlin, T. (1982) Fatty Acid Composition of Serum Predicts Myocardial Infarction, Br. Med. J. 285, 993–996.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Dyerberg, J., Bang, H.O., and Hjørne, N. (1975) Fatty Acid Composition of the Plasma Lipids in Greenland Eskimos, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 28, 958–966.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Engler, M.M., Engler, M.B., Erickson, S.K., and Paul, S.M. (1992) Dietary Gamma-Linolenic Acid Lowers Blood Pressure and Alters Aortic Reactivity and Cholesterol Metabolism in Hypertension, J. Hypertens. 10, 1197–1204.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hoffmann, P., Block, H.U., Bietz, J., Taube, C., Forster, W., Wortha, P., Singer, P., Naumann, E., and Heine, H. (1986) Comparative Study of the Blood Pressure Effects of Four Different Vegetable Fats on Young, Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Lipids 21, 733–737.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. St. Louis, C., Lee, R.M.K.W., Rosenfeld, J., and Fargas-Babjak, A. (1992) Antihypertensive Effect of γ-Linolenic Acid in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Hypertension 19 (2 Supp.), II-111–II-115.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Narce, M., and Poisson, J.-P. (1995) Age-Related Depletion of Linoleic Acid Desaturation in Liver Microsomes from Young Hypertensive Rats, Prostaglandins Leukotr. Essent. Fatty Acids 53, 59–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Simon, J.A., Hodgkins, M.L., Browner, W.S., Neuhaus, J.M., Bernert, J.T., and Hulley, S.B. (1995) Serum Fatty Acids and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Am. J. Epidemiol. 142, 469–476.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Bonaa, K.H., and Thelle, D.S. (1991) Association Between Blood Pressure and Serum Lipids in a Population. The Tromsø Study, Circulation 83, 1305–1315.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G.H. (1957) A Simple Method for Isolation and Purification of Total Lipids from Animal Tissues, J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Slover, H.T., and Lanza, E. (1979) Quantitative Analysis of Food Fatty Acids by Capillary Gas Chromatography, J. Am. Oil Soc. 56, 933–943.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Narce, M., Asdrubal, P., Delachambre, M.-C., Gresti, J., and Poisson, J.-P. (1995) Influence of Spontaneous Hypertension on n−3 Δ6-Desaturase Activity and Fatty Acid Composition of Rat Hepatocytes, Mol. Cell. Biochem. 152, 7–12.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Yosefy, C., Viskoper, J.R., Varon, D., Ilan, I., Pilpel, D., Lugassy, G., Schneider, R., Savyon, N., Adan, Y., and Raz, A. (1996) Repeated Fasting and Refeeding with 20∶5n−3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA): A Novel Approach for Rapid Fatty Acid Exchange and Its Effect on Blood Pressure, Plasma Lipids and Hemostasis, J. Hum. Hypertens. 10 (Suppl. 3), S135–S139.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Engler, M.M., Engler, M.B., Goodfriend, T.L., Ball, D.L., Yu, Z., Su, P., and Kroetz, D.L. (1999) Docosahexaenoic Acid Is an Antihypertensive Nutrient That Affects Aldosterone Production in SHR, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 221, 32–38.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Lam, B.J., Marcinkiewicz, E., Quilley, J., Hirai, A., Yoshida, S., Tamura, Y., and Wong, P.Y.K. (1986) Hypotensive Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Its Influence on Eicosanoid Metabolism in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, J. Hypertens. 4 (Suppl.), S453–S455.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Mori, T.A., Bao, D.Q., Burke, V., Puddey, I.A., and Beilin, L.J. (1999) Docosahexaenoic Acid but Not Eicosapentaenoic Acid Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Humans, Hypertension 34, 253–260.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Dyeberg, J., and Jorgensen, K.A. (1982) Marine Oils and Thrombogenesis, Prog. Lipid Res. 21, 255–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Foucher, C., Narce, M., Nasr, L., Delachambre, M.-C., and Poisson, J.-P. (1997) Liver Microsomal Membrane Fluidity and Microsomal Desaturase Activities in Adult Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, J. Hypertens. 15, 863–869.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Spector, A.A., and Yorek, M.A. (1985) Membrane Lipid Composition and Cellular Function, J. Lipid Res. 26, 1015–1035.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Van den Boom, M.A.P., Groot Wassink, M., Roelofsen, B., De Fouw, N.J., and Op Den Kamp, J.A.F. (1996) The Influence of a Fish-Oil-Enriched Diet on the Phospholipid Fatty Acid Turnover in the Rabbit Red Cell Membrane in vivo, Lipids 31, 285–293.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Russo, C., Olivieri, O., Guarini, P., Pasqualini, R., Azzini, M., and Corrocher, R. (1997) Increased Membrane Ratios of Metabolite to Precursor Fatty Acid in Essential Hypertension, Hypertension 29, 1058–1063.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Christiansen, E.N., Lund, J.S., Rortveit, T., and Rustan, C.R. (1991) Effect of Dietary n−3 and n−6 Fatty Acids on Fatty Acid Desaturation in Rat Liver, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1082, 57–62.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Li, B., Birdwell, C., and Whelan, J. (1994) Antithetic Relationship of Dietary Arachidonic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid on Eicosanoid Production in vivo, J. Lipid Res. 35, 1869–1877.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Leaf, A., and Weber, P.C. (1988) Cardiovascular Effects of n−3 Fatty Acids, N. Engl. J. Med. 318, 549–557.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Zheng, Z.J., Folsom, A.R., Ma, J., Arnett, D.K., McGovern, P.G., and Eckfeldt, J.H. (1999) Plasma Fatty Acid Composition and 6-Year Incidence of Hypertension in Middle-Aged Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, Am. J. Epidemiol. 150, 492–500.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UPRES Lipides et Nutrition, Faculté des Sciences Gabriel, Université de Bourgogne, 6 blvd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France

    S. Bellenger-Germain, J. -P. Poisson & M. Narce

Authors
  1. S. Bellenger-Germain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. -P. Poisson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Narce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Narce.

About this article

Cite this article

Bellenger-Germain, S., Poisson, J.P. & Narce, M. Antihypertensive effects of a dietary unsaturated FA mixture in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Lipids 37, 561–567 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-002-0933-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-002-0933-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation