Angiotensinase activity in mice fed an olive oil-supplemented diet

We evaluated the influence of a diet supplemented with olive oil (20% by we ight) (OO) on the activity of glutamyl aminopeptidase (GluAP) and aspartyl aminopeptidase (AspAP), which are involved in angiotensin metabolism Serum concentrations of total cholesterol and fatty acids were also measured. Ani mals fed on the OO diet gained significantly more weight than did controls from the second week until the end of the feeding period. Serum total chole sterol concentration was significantly higher in the OO group than in contr ol mice. Total monounsaturated fatty acids increased in GO-fed animals, but total saturated fatty acids decreased. No differences between the two grou ps were observed for total polyunsaturated fatty acids. Serum from animals fed on the OO diet contained significantly lower proportions of myristic, p entadecanoic, palmitic, palmitoleic, vaccenic, alpha -linolenic, gamma -lin olenic, and 11,14-eicosadienoic acids than did serum from control animals. In contrast, the OO group had higher levels of oleic, stearic, and gondoic acids. GluAP activity decreased significantly in the serum of GO-fed animal s. In these animals soluble AspAP activity was significantly higher in the testis, and significantly lower in the lung and adrenal, in comparison to c ontrols. Membrane-bound AspAP activity was higher in the testis and atrium, and lower in lung, in the OO group. Soluble GluAP activity was significant ly lower in the testis of GO-fed animals. Membrane-bound GluAP activity did not differ between the two groups in any of the tissues analyzed. Serum As pAP and GluAP activities correlated negatively with palmitoleic and vacceni c acid respectively in the OO group. However, no significant correlations w ere found in the control group. These results may reflect functional change s in the renin-angiotensin system in the serum, adrenal, testis, lung and a trium after feeding with a diet enriched in olive oil. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience Inc. All rights reserved.