VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND CHOLESTEROL DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSBILAYER MOVEMENT IN HUMAN ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE

The influence of virgin olive oil intake (with regard to the ingestion of high-oleic sunflower oil) on cholesterol distribution and transbil ayer movement in the erythrocyte membrane of healthy subjects and hype rtensive patients (with or without concomitant hypercholesterolaemia) was studied. The activity of erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertranspo rt and blood pressure were also determined. The study was conducted ov er two 4-week periods, with a washout (4-week) period between both mon ounsaturated diets. Olive oil (but not high-oleic sunflower oil) was a ble to reduce the erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport activity , to normalize the erythrocyte membrane cholesterol distribution and t ransbilayer movement, and to significantly diminish the systolic and d iastolic Mood pressures in hypertensive patients. Our data indicate th at olive oil enriched-diet may modulate and/or partially prevent the a lteration of those pathogenic parameters related to human hypertension and Cardiovascular Pathology. These processes cannot be exclusively a scribed to the content of oleic acid in virgin olive on.