Effects of Fish Oil Concentrate Added to an Atherogenic Diet on Rabbit Tissue Fibrinolytic Activity

Abstract

New Zealand strain, male rabbits were fed atherogenic diet (AD) (2% cholesterol, 6% corn oil and 92% Purina Rabbit Chow) with added concentrated fish oil (MaxEPA), rich in omega 3 fatty acids – eicosapentanoic and docosaheanoic acid ‐ for seven weeks. Five rabbit controls (Group I) were fed AD. Five experimental rabbits (Group II) were fed AD + 2% Max EPA and five (Group III) received AD+ 5% Max EPA. Blood plasma, platelets and lysosomes from lung, liver and kidney were assayed for cholesterol, phospholipid, total protein and plasminogen activator activity (PAA) measured as % fibrin clot lysis. Mean PAA was 9.9% in Group III blood plasma vs 8.5% in Group I. PAA was significantly higher in Group I lung, liver and kidney lysosomal supernate(LS), whole lysosome(WL) and homogenized lysosome(HL) fractions vs Group II and III. Ex.‐Lung LS PAA Group I =8.5%, II =4.7%, III= 2.3%, WL PAA Group I =16.8%, II= 5.3%, III =2.8% and HL PAA Group I = 36.8%, II =3.0% and III= 1.8%. Liver and kidney lysosomal PAA was comparable to lung values. Cholesterol assays of blood plasma : Group I = 660.6, II =886.8 and III = 870.1 mean mg. %, and in platelets: Group I= 746.8, II =549.3 and III =497.5 mg% Platelet glucose uptake assays: Group I =273.6, Group II = 342.6, III =367.6 mg% glucose. Fish oil supplements may counteract PAA lysosomal retention induced by AD and improve platelet sensitivity to insulin in hypercholesterolemic animals.