Re: Review: Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cardioprotection

mike V wrote:
Molecular nutters and crazies please, please ignore.

http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/inside.asp?AID=4637&UID=

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Effects on nitric oxide and endothelium
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Br J Nutr. 2008 Mar 17;:1-9 [Epub ahead of print]

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid from fish oil modulates
aortic nitric oxide and tocopherol status in the rat.

López D, Möller M, Denicola A, Casós K, Rubbo H, Ruiz-Sanz JI,
Mitjavila MT.

Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de
Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.

In spite of their high oxidisability, long-chain n-3 PUFA protect
against CVD. Dietary fatty acids modulate the fatty acid composition
of lipoproteins involved in atherosclerosis. We thought that if long-
chain n-3 PUFA were able to increase NO production by the aorta, then
by its antioxidant activity the NO will prevent lipid peroxidation.
However, the beneficial effect of NO in vivo on VLDL+LDL oxidation
would only be possible if NO could diffuse to their lipidic core. Rats
were fed maize oil- or fish oil as menhaden oil- (MO) rich diets for 8
weeks, to study the effects of MO on aortic NO production, NO
diffusion into VLDL+LDL, the extent of oxidation in native VLDL+LDL
and their oxidisability ex vivo. Aortic NO production and its alpha-
tocopherol content were increased and n-3 PUFA were incorporated into
the VLDL+LDL. In spite of the higher peroxidisability and the low
alpha-tocopherol in native VLDL+LDL from rats fed MO, native VLDL+LDL
from the two groups shared similar electrophoretic patterns,
conjugated dienes, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, total
antioxidant capacity, and NO diffusibility on VLDL+LDL, indicative of
an in vivo protection against oxidation. However, these results do not
correlate with the ex vivo oxidisability of VLDL+LDL, as NO is
lacking. Thus, the in vivo beneficial effects can be explained by
increased alpha-tocopherol in aorta and by a compensatory effect of NO
on VLDL+LDL against the low alpha-tocopherol levels, which may
contribute to the anti-atherogenic properties of fish oil.

PMID: 18341754 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

We're all molecular nutters in here! ;-)

Incidentally, we should start hearing more news about hydrogen sulfide (H2S), another important "noxious" gas, soon. It may even be a "fountain of youth"!

(Science News, March 8, 2008, page 152, "Rotten Remedy":)

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080308/bob10.asp

--
Marshall Price of Miami
Known to Yahoo as d021317c
.