Influence of dietary fats on blood coagulation and prostaglandin production in the common marmoset

Dietary lipids and adipose tissue fatty acids in the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus)

The fatty acid composition of marmoset monkey perirenal fat was examined after long-term feeding of different lipid supplemented diets. Saturated fatty acid supplementation significantly reduced linoleic acid; n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation decreased oleic acid but did not reduce the saturated fatty acid content of perirenal fat. Dietary supplementation with fish oil also reduced the level of linoleic acid but increased the level of palmitic acid as well as that of the long-chain n-3 PUFAs. Perirenal fat levels of linoleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are reliable measures of n-6 and n-3 PUFA intake respectively, but the levels of saturated fatty acids palmitic and stearic do not accurately reflect the marmosets dietary intake.

Lipids and cardiac arrhythmia

In any discussion of lipids and heart disease it is beneficial from the outset to recognise that at least three different pathological processes may be involved. The first of these is atherosclerosis which involves the deposition of "fat" in the coronary vessels, another is thrombogenesis which describes the formation of blood clots in the coronary vessels, and the third is arrhythmia which refers to disorders in the beating of the heart which may become sufficiently serious to cause sudden cardiac death (SCD). Also it is this disturbance in the rhythmic beating of the heart which is responsible for much of the mortality from 'heart attacks' which occur 'outside-of-hospital' in societies like U.S.A., U.K. and Australia. It is this latter condition of cardiac arrhythmia which is the major concern of this review. Because it is often difficult to differentiate the role of lipids in 'heart disease' in man, it has frequently been assumed that all dietary fatty acids have similar effects on the different processes involved, and many unwarranted generalisations have been made which have led to conflicts of opinion amongst physicians and confusion in the lay public. From the animal studies discussed in this review, it is apparent that dietary fatty acids have an important role to play in determining the vulnerability of the myocardium to develop serious ventricular fibrillation (VF) and potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmia. In general, diets rich in saturated fatty acids promote a state of myocardial vulnerability, whilst diets rich in PUFA significantly diminish the probability of developing lethal disorders in cardiac rhythm when the heart is placed under pharmacological (or emotional) stress, or deprived of sufficient blood flow and supply of oxygen. Very recent experiments with the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) oleic acid clearly demonstrate that, at least in rats subjected to ligation of their coronary artery, this acid is not 'neutral' as has been suggested by some for its role in atherosclerosis, but in fact is indistinguishable from saturated fatty acids in its effect in promoting arrhythmia during either regional ischaemia or reperfusion arrhythmia in this animal model of SCD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cholesterol and lipoproteins: beyond atherogenesis

Although much emphasis has been placed on the role of cholesterol and lipoproteins in atherosclerotic plaque formation, recent studies suggest that lipids have other vascular actions which may contribute to the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia. These include deleterious effects of lipids on platelet and endothelial cell function, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and prostacyclin metabolism. The purpose of this report is to review recent data regarding the nonatherogenic effects of lipids and provide insight as to how lipid lowering might contribute to clinically important improvements in vascular biology.

Differences in fatty acid composition of various tissues of the marmoset monkey (Lithrix jacchus after different lipid supplemented diets

1. The fatty acid composition of different muscles, organs and blood components of the marmoset monkey were examined after long-term feeding of several well defined lipid supplemented diets. 2. Similarities between the fatty acid composition of cardiac and skeletal muscles which persisted after all diets suggest that biopsy of skeletal muscle may have an important diagnostic value in this and other primate species. 3. The relationship between the dietary intake of individual fatty acids and their proportions in different tissues is both complex and variable. 4. However, the lipid metabolism of Callithrix jacchus recommends this small non-human primate as a most suitable species for the study of lipid nutrition.

Tissue specific differences in the fatty acid composition of the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus)

1. The possible relationship between the fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue of the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) and its dietary lipid intake was examined after a long-term feeding trial. 2. Only the proportions of stearic and linoleic acid in the adipose tissue were similar to those in the diet. The proportions of all other saturated and unsaturated fatty acid components were significantly different thus greatly reducing the potential value of this relationship in the marmoset. 3. The phospholipid fatty acid profiles of cardiac and skeletal muscle, aortae, kidney, liver, lung and brain were also compared to those of the plasma, platelets or red blood cells. 4. With the exception of the liver where the fatty acid profile is similar to that of the plasma, no clear relationships were found between the fatty acid profiles of these tissues and the components of the blood. 5. The fatty acid composition of skeletal muscle was very similar to that of the cardiac muscle of the marmoset, suggesting that muscle biopsy might be useful as an index of cardiac muscle composition.