DIETARY FISH-OIL INHIBITS HUMAN ERYTHROCYTE MG,NAK-ATPASE

The effects of long-term treatment with a high dose (7.7 g/day) of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were studied for human red blood c ells (RBCs). RBCs isolated from healthy subjects treated for 30 and 18 0 days with n-3 PUFA showed the following modifications: (1) a time de pendent modification of membrane fatty acid composition with a concomi tant increase in membrane lipid unsaturation; (2) an increase in lipid peroxidation, expressed as malondialdehyde release, induced in vine b y t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH); (3) a time-dependent decrease in sus ceptibility to hemolysis, expressed as K+ leakage, induced in vitro by t-BOOH; (4) a time -dependent decrease in total and ouabain-insensiti ve Mg, NaK-ATPase activity. These results suggest that long term dieta ry supplementation with high doses of n-3 PUFA significantly modifies RBC structure and function that might lead to harmful side effects. (C ) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.