DIETARY N-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS ALTER CARDIAC LIPIDS IN HAMSTERS

Increasing the consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUF A) altered the cardiac lipids in Syrian hamsters. Diets contained 15 w t% total fat with 0 (control), 1.5 or 3.8 % sardine oil (SO). The rema ining lipids were supplied as a combination of safflower oil, butterfa t and olive oil in ratios that maintained dietary n-6 and saturated fa t contents of the diets constant. Dietary n-3 PUFA especially eicosape ntaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were facilely incorporat ed into the phospholipids (PL) of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum ( SR-PL) with a concomitant reduction of n-6 PUFA, especially arachidoni c acid (AA). Ingestion of 1.5 wt% SO was as effective as 3.8 wt% SO in altering the DHA in PL classes.