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High-Fat Diets Containing Different Amounts of n3 and n6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modulate Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Mice

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Lipids

Abstract

Dysregulation of adipokines is a hallmark of obesity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil may exert anti-inflammatory effects on adipose tissue mitigating the dysregulation of adipokines thereby preventing obesity. This study investigated the effects of high-fat diets containing different amounts of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on adiposity and adipokine production in mice. Mice were fed a low-fat or a high-fat diet with 16 or 45 % of energy from corn oil (low n3 PUFA) in comparison with a high-fat diet containing soybean or high-oleic sunflower oil (adequate n3 PUFA) or flaxseed or fish oil (high n3 PUFA) for 11 weeks. High-fat diets, regardless of types of oils, significantly increased body fat mass and body weights compared to the low-fat diet. Adipose fatty acid composition and contents reflected dietary fatty acid profiles. The high-fat fish oil diet significantly increased adiponectin and reduced leptin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue; it did not elevate plasma insulin concentration compared to the high-fat corn oil diet. All high-fat diets elevated concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) but lowered resistin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue. In conclusion, fish oil may be beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity by upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin production; n3 and n6 PUFA do not play a role at the dietary levels tested in reducing adiposity and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (leptin, PAI-1, MCP-1 and resistin) and anti-inflammatory cytokine adiponectin.

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Abbreviations

ALA :

α-Linolenic acid 18:3n3

DHA :

Docosahexaenoic acid 22:6n3

DPA :

Docosapentaenoic acid 22:5n3

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

EPA :

Eicosapentaenoic acid 20:5n3

LNA :

Linoleic acid 18:2n6

MCP-1:

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acids

PAI-1:

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

SFA:

Saturated fatty acids

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following staff of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center: Lana DeMars and Kay Keehr for technical support, James Lindlauf for preparing experimental diets and vivarium staff for providing high quality animal care. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, research project 5450-51000-050-00D.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, Plains Area, is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all agency services are available without discrimination. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, 2420 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, USA

    Sneha Sundaram, Michael R. Bukowski, Matthew J. Picklo & Lin Yan

  2. EMD Millipore Corporation, St. Charles, MO, 63304, USA

    Wen-Rong Lie

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  1. Sneha Sundaram
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  2. Michael R. Bukowski
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Correspondence to Lin Yan.

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Sundaram, S., Bukowski, M.R., Lie, WR. et al. High-Fat Diets Containing Different Amounts of n3 and n6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modulate Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Mice. Lipids 51, 571–582 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-015-4093-x

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