Omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA's have different effects on the phospholipid fatty acid composition of rat myocardial muscle when added to a saturated fatty acid dietary supplement

Abstract

Changes in the type of dietary lipid intake can alter the fatty acid composition of cardiac membrane phospholipids. Generally these changes reflect the fatty acid composition of the diet, but important metabolic alterations also occur. These metabolic alterations between fatty acids are influence by competition for common metabolic pathways of conversion. However, the efficacy of omega-3 PUFA's is much greater than that of omega-6 PUFA's as a relatively small amount of fish oil added to a diet rich in saturated animal fats was most effective in changing membrane composition. Conversely almost total substitution of saturated fatty acids by omega-6 PUFA's was required to significantly alter cardiac membrane fatty acid profiles. These results agree with the difference in physiological efficacies of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA's noted previously, and strengthen the view that dietary lipids can influence cardiac function via changes in membrane fatty acid composition.