ECTOPIC CALCIFICATION OF RAT AORTAS AND KIDNEYS IS REDUCED WITH N-3 FATTY-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION

Supplementation with essential fatty acids has been shown to prevent t he experimentally induced ectopic calcification of the kidneys known a s nephrocalcinosis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a semi-synthetic diet supplemented with different essential fatty acids while being in jected for a period of 10 days with calcium glubionate. After 3 weeks their kidneys and aorta were removed and the respective calcium conten t measured compared to the control, saline injected animals. Lipoic ac id-EPA, fish oil (EPA rich) as well as the EPA monoester reduced the c alcium concentration of both the kidneys and the aorta towards control values, Lipoic-EPA was the best absorbed of the three compounds and i ts combination of anti-oxidant together with EPA lowered the calcium c ontent of both the aortas and the kidneys.