Dietary PUFA Intake Research Articles

Dietary Olive Oil Supplemented with Fish Oil, Rich in EPA and DHA (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Attenuates Colonic Inflammation in Rats with DSS-Induced Colitis

Previous studies proposed a protective role of the dietary intake of (n-3) PUFA in human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but almost no studies have been performed using olive oil. The aims of the present study were to test the beneficial effects of an olive oil-based diet with or without fish oil, rich in (n-3) PUFA, in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of rat colitis and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in their potential beneficial effects, with special attention to the production of some of the mediators involved in the intestinal inflammatory response, such as leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and nitric oxide (NO). Rats were fed the different diets for 2 wk before colitis induction and thereafter until colonic evaluation 15 d later. Colitic rats fed the olive oil-based diet had a lower colonic inflammatory response than those fed the soybean oil diet, and this beneficial effect was increased by the dietary incorporation of (n-3) PUFA. A restoration of colonic glutathione levels and lower colonic NO synthase expression occurred in all colitic rats fed an olive oil diet compared with the control colitic group that consumed the soybean oil diet. However, (n-3) PUFA incorporation into an olive oil diet significantly decreased colonic TNFalpha and LTB(4) levels compared with colitic rats that were not supplemented with fish oil. These results affirm the benefits of an olive oil diet in the management of IBD, which are further enhanced by the addition of (n-3) PUFA.

Analysis of the 2nd symposium "Anomalies of fatty acids, ageing and degenerating pathologies".

The second symposium on anomalies of fatty acids, ageing and degenerating pathologies for the French-speaking community was held during January 2002 in Paris (France) and reunited more than 200 participants, including a majority of medical practitioners. It was organised around 8 conferences treating the following subjects: a general presentation of the metabolism of fatty acids and their biological functions (in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFA), the exploration of PUFA in man during situations of nutritional and pathological disequilibrium, and the importance of PUFA in the aetiology and prevention of pathophysiologies such as cardiovascular, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, diabetes and obesity, cancer and certain neuropsychiatric affections such as depression. Indeed, even though edible fatty acids present a common energetic function, by beta-oxidation, and a structural function, as a constituent of membrane lipids, some of them have a more specific role as an essential nutrient. These are essential fatty acids including the two families of polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 and n-3 PUFA). Their metabolism leads to the synthesis of derivatives found in cellular membranes (structural role) and oxygenated molecules, the eicosanoids, whose main action is of the same type as that of hormones. These derivatives and oxygenated molecules also regulate different metabolic pathways by modulating the expression of target genes via activation of specific transcription factors. Due to their quality and their quantity in food, the PUFA may interfere with the incidence of a large number of pathologies whose causes are varied (cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, cancers, neuropathologies, ...). The particular interest in nutrition of PUFA of the n-3 series (or omega3) and in particular of long-chain derivatives mainly found in high quantity in fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) is now widely confirmed for cardiovascular and inflammatory physiology and formed the subject of increasing investigations for prevention of certain pathologies of the central nervous system. In this paper, we are first going to recall the generalities of metabolism and functional properties of PUFA. Secondly, we will list the pathologies whose frequency and symptoms are susceptible to be corrected by the dietary intake of PUFA, notably by reaching the nutritional equilibrium between the family of linoleic acid (n-6 or omega6) and that of alpha-linolenic acid (n-3 or omega3).

Dietary intake of essential and long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy

The dietary intake of EFA and long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) by women with (n = 14) and without (n = 31) gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was determined by repeated 24-h recalls. Women with GDM consumed significantly more energy as fat compared with women who had uncomplicated pregnancies; absolute dietary fat did not differ. Dietary n-3 LCPUFA was substantially lower than the current recommendation for pregnancy, whereas intake of saturated FA (SFA) exceeded it. We conclude that replacing dietary sources of SFA with those of EFA and LCPUFA, especially n-3 LCPUFA, would benefit the dietary fat profiles of all pregnant women.

The T111I mutation in the EL gene modulates the impact of dietary fat on the HDL profile in women

The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of the T111I missense mutation in exon 3 of the endothelial lipase (EL) gene on HDL and its potential interaction effect with dietary fat. The study sample included 281 women and 216 men aged between 17 and 76 years from the Québec Family Study. Plasma HDL3-C levels of I111I homozygote women were higher compared with those of women carrying the wild-type allele (P = 0.03). These differences were not attenuated when adjusted for levels of obesity and were not observed among men. Dietary PUFA interacted with the T111I mutation to modulate apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and HDL3-C levels among women. Specifically, a diet rich in PUFA was associated with increased apoA-I levels among women carriers of the I111 allele and with decreased apoA-I among women homozygotes for the wild-type allele (P = 0.002). A similar interaction was observed with plasma HDL3-C levels (P = 0.003). These interactions were not observed among men. In conclusion, the EL T111I mutation appears to have a modest effect on plasma HDL levels. The gene-diet interaction among women, however, suggests that the T111I missense mutation may confer protection against the lowering effect of a high dietary PUFA intake on plasma apoA-I and HDL3-C levels.

Cholesterol, phytosterol and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in 1982 and 1957 Japanese diets.

The dietary intake of cholesterol, phytosterol and PUFA in Japanese was investigated to obtain information on dietary parameters related to coronary artery disease. Three daily menus for both 1957 and 1982 were prepared based on the daily per capita consumption of foods and nutrient intakes from national surveys. From 1957 to 1982, the average daily intake of cholesterol rose 2.1-fold from 183 to 376 mg while that of phytosterol remained at about 373 mg. Daily intakes of total fatty acid (19.2 g), PUFA (7.3 g), MUFA (5.8 g) and SFA (6.1 g) in 1957 increased in 1982 to 48.7 g, 11.9 g, 19.5 g and 17.3 g, respectively. The ratio of PUFA/SFA decreased to 56% from 1.23 in 1957 to 0.69 in 1982 and the PUFA/MUFA ratio also decreased to 48%. The PUFA/cholesterol ratio was lower in 1982 (31.8) than in 1957 (42.6), and the decrease in the phytosterol/cholesterol ratio to 46% was greater than that in the PUFA/cholesterol ratio (which only fell to 75% of the 1957 value). Thus, comparison of the 1982 and 1957 intakes indicated the increase in risk factors, cholesterol and SFA intake, and the decrease in the ratio of PUFA/SFA in the Japanese population during the past few decades.