DELAYING EFFECTS OF DIETARY EICOSAPENTAENOIC-DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACIDS ONDEVELOPMENT OF FATTY STREAKS IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RABBITS - A MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDY BY SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Besides causing functional and clinical damage, hypercholesterolaemia also causes morphological alterations of vascular endothelium. Rabbits fed a diet with 1% cholesterol for 4, 6, or 8 weeks are experimental models for hypercholesterolaemia, with pathological structural changes in vascular luminal surface. Morphological investigation by scanning electron microscopy was performed to reveal the tridimensional growth of these lesions and the differences in this growth induced by concomi tant dietary assimilation of fish-oil (2 g/day). Macroscopic reduction in fatty-streak production was clearly seen in rabbits fed fish-oil. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the area of intimal lesion s was only 21 +/- 6% in this group, while in the group fed cholesterol without fish oil, the lesioned area attained 76 +/- 5%. Endothelial s welling was less marked, probably due to reduced intracellular lipid a ccumulation into the loam cells. Adherent macrophages were also fewer. The differences might be correlated with protection against the lipop roteins' atherogenic effects and to emorheological benefits produced b y the Omega-3 fatty acid (85%) present in fish-oil.