HETEROGENEOUS RESPONSIVENESS OF NORMOLIPEMIC WOMEN TO N-3 LONG-CHAIN FATTY-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION - CHANGES IN SERUM-LIPIDS AND APOPROTEINS

The effect of 10 day-low dosage of n-3 long chain fatty acids (390 mg/ day of EPA and 252 mg/day of DHA) on lipid and apolipoprotein (Ape) co ncentrations has been studied in nine normolipidaemic women aged 28.9 +/- 4.2 years. n-3 fatty acid supplementation did not significantly de crease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels but markedly decrease d the Apo A1 and Apo B concentrations (12.7 %, p < 0.01 and 23.1 %, p < 0.001, respectively), while the Apo A1/Apo B ratio significantly inc reased (14.8 %, p < 0.02). In contrast to the individual variations fo und for triglycerides and cholesterol, Apo changes indicate a fairly h omogeneous response to the fish oil supplement. In seven women Apo A1 decreased (>10%), whereas Apo B decreased (> 10 %) in all of them. The Apo A1/Apo B ratio increased (> 10 %) in five of these nine women. Ch anges in Apo A-1 and Apo B did not significantly correlate with change s in serum lipids. These findings suggest that short-term supplementat ion with low amount of n-3 long chain fatty acids, EPA and DHA, influe nces the serum Apo content more than the lipid levels in normolipidaem ic women.