Effect of saturated, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on myocardial infarction

Dietary fatty acids have cholesterol lowering, antiatherogenic, and antiarr hythmic properties that decrease the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Th is study was designed to study the effects of various oils rich in either p olyunsaturated (omega-3 or omega-6)fatty acids (PUFA) or saturated fatty ac ids (SFA) on the severity of experimentally induced MI. Male albino Sprague -Dawley rats (100-150 g; n = 20) were fed diets enriched with fish oil (ome ga-3 PUFA), peanut ail (omega-6 PUFA), or coconut ail (SFA) far 60 days. Ex perimental MI was induced with isoproterenol. Mortality razes; serum enzyme s aspartate amino transferase; alanine amino transferase; creatine phosphok inase (CPK); lipid profiles in serum myocardium, and aorta; peroxide levels in heart and aorta; activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase; and l evels of glutathione were measured. The results demonstrated that mortality rate, CPK levels, myocardial lipid peroxides, and glutathione levels were decreased n the omega-3 PUFA treated group. Maximum increase in parameters indicative of myocardial damage was seen in the coconut oil group. These fi ndings suggest that dietary omega-3 PUFA offers maximum protection in exper imentally induced MI in comparison to omega-6 PUFA and SFA enriched diets. SFA was found to have the feast protective effect. (J. Nutr. Biochem. 10:33 8-344; 1999) (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1999. All rights reserved.