Opposing roles of omega‐3 and trans polyunsaturated fatty acids in sudden cardiac death and vascular remodeling

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFAs) have well‐recognized cardio‐beneficial effects. In contrast, premature coronary deaths are associated with consuming high levels of trans polyunsaturated fatty acids (TFAs). We studied effects of n‐3 PUFAs and TFAs on cardiac health using sudden cardiac death and compensatory vascular remodeling models. Male rats were subjected to coronary ligation and were randomly assigned to diets high in n‐3 PUFAs or TFAs. Feeding an n‐3 PUFA‐enriched diet caused an increase in plasma n‐3 PUFAs by 7 fold compared to that of TFA fed group whereas TFA‐enriched diet caused an increase in plasma TFAs by 2.5 fold compared to n‐3 PUFA group. A diet high in TFAs was associated with a lower survival rate (6‐month post MI) due to sudden cardiac death. Animals on a TFA diet also exhibited variable degrees of aortic atherosclerotic lesions. For compensatory vascular remodeling, male mice were subjected to femoral artery ligation. After 3 months on the diets, animals on TFA diet did not exhibit any collateral vascular growth whereas animals on n‐3 PUFA diet exhibited compensatory vascular growth around ligated regions. In conclusion our data suggest that TFAs decrease whereas n‐3 PUFAs improve animal survival after Myocardial Infarction. TFAs induce whereas n‐3 PUFAs prevent development of atherosclerotic lesions and TFAs prevent whereas n‐3 PUFAs stimulate compensatory vascular remodeling.