—Animal studies suggest that the 2 major ω3 fatty acids found in fish, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may have differential effects on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). The aim of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences in the effects of purified EPA or DHA on ambulatory BP and HR in humans. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of parallel design, 59 overweight, mildly hyperlipidemic men were randomized to 4 g/d of purified EPA, DHA, or olive oil (placebo) capsules and continued their usual diets for 6 weeks. Fifty-six subjects completed the study. Only DHA reduced 24-hour and daytime (awake) ambulatory BP ( P P =0.001). Relative to the placebo group, DHA reduced 24-hour HR by 3.5±0.8 bpm, daytime HR by 3.7±1.2 bpm, and nighttime HR by 2.8±1.2. EPA had no significant effect on ambulatory BP or HR. Supplementation with EPA increased plasma phospholipid EPA from 1.66±0.07% to 9.83±0.06% ( P P

Docosahexaenoic Acid but Not Eicosapentaenoic Acid Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Humans

The link between dietary fats and cardiovascular diseases has necessitated a growing research interest in palm oil, the second largest consumed vegetable oil in the world. Palm oil, obtained from a tropical plant, Elaeis guineensis contains 50% saturated fatty acids, yet it does not promote atherosclerosis and arterial thrombosis. The saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid ratio of palm oil is close to unity and it contains a high amount of the antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. Although palm oil-based diets induce a higher blood cholesterol level than do corn, soybean, safflower seed, and sunflower oils, the consumption of palm oil causes the endogenous cholesterol level to drop. This phenomenon seems to arise from the presence of the tocotrienols and the peculiar isomeric position of its fatty acids. The benefits of palm oil to health include reduction in risk of arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis, inhibition of endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis, platelet aggregation, and reduction in blood pressure. Palm oil has been used in the fresh state and/or at various levels of oxidation. Oxidation is a result of processing the oil for various culinary purposes. However, a considerable amount of the commonly used palm oil is in the oxidized state, which poses potential dangers to the biochemical and physiological functions of the body. Unlike fresh palm oil, oxidized palm oil induces an adverse lipid profile, reproductive toxicity and toxicity of the kidney, lung, liver, and heart. This may be as a result of the generation of toxicants brought on by oxidation. In contrast to oxidized palm oil, red or refined palm oil at moderate levels in the diet of experimental animals promotes efficient utilization of nutrients, favorable body weight gains, induction of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes, adequate hemoglobinization of red cells and improvement of immune function. Howerer, high palm oil levels in the diet induce toxicity to the liver as shown by loss of cellular radial architecture and cell size reductions which are corroborated by alanine transaminase to asparate transaminase ratios which are higher than unity. The consumtion of moderate amounts of palm oil and reduction in the level of oxidation may reduce the health risk believed to be associated with the consumption of palm oil. Red palm oil, by virtue of its beta-carotene content, may protect against vitamin A deficiency and certain forms of cancer.

Palm oil: biochemical, physiological, nutritional, hematological, and toxicological aspects: a review.

Background—Recent evidence supports differential effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the 2 major ω3 fatty acids of marine origin, on blood pressure in humans and vascular reactivity in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats. We investigated possible differences in the effects of purified EPA or DHA on forearm vascular reactivity in overweight hyperlipidemic men that might contribute to the blood pressure–lowering effects of fish oils. Methods and Results—With a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of parallel design, 59 overweight, mildly hyperlipidemic men were randomized to receive 4 g/d purified EPA, DHA, or olive oil (placebo) capsules while continuing their usual diets for 6 weeks. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured with venous occlusion, strain-gauge plethysmography during the sequential intra-arterial administration of acetylcholine (7.5, 15, and 30 μg/min), sodium nitroprusside (1.5, 3, and 10 μg/min), norepinephrine (10, 20, and 40 ng/min), a single-dose inf...

Differential Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Vascular Reactivity of the Forearm Microcirculation in Hyperlipidemic, Overweight Men

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/dmr.5610100302

The relationship of vascular changes to metabolic factors in diabetes mellitus and their role in the development of peripheral nerve complications

Obesity is a major factor contributing to hypertension and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Regular consumption of dietary fish and omega3 fatty acids of marine origin can lower blood pressure (BP) levels and reduce cardiovascular risk. This study examined the potential effects of combining dietary fish rich in omega3 fatty acids with a weight loss regimen in overweight hypertensive subjects, with ambulatory BP levels as the primary end point. Using a factorial design, 69 overweight medication-treated hypertensives were randomized to a daily fish meal (3.65 g omega3 fatty acids), weight reduction, the 2 regimens combined, or a control regimen for 16 weeks. Sixty-three subjects with a mean+/-SEM body mass index of 31.6+/-0.5 kg/m2 completed the study. Weight fell by 5.6+/-0.8 kg with energy restriction. Dietary fish and weight loss had significant independent and additive effects on 24-hour ambulatory BP. Effects were greatest on awake systolic and diastolic BP (P<0.01); relative to control, awake pressures fell 6.0/3.0 mm Hg with dietary fish alone, 5.5/2.2 mm Hg with weight reduction alone, and 13.0/9.3 mm Hg with fish and weight loss combined. These results also remained significant after further adjustment for changes in urinary sodium, potassium, or the sodium/potassium ratio, as well as dietary macronutrients. Dietary fish also significantly reduced 24-hour (-3.1+/-1.4 bpm, P=0.036) and awake (-4.2+/-1.6 bpm, P=0. 013) ambulatory heart rates. Weight reduction had a significant effect on sleeping heart rate only (-3.2+/-1.7 bpm, P=0.037). Combining a daily fish meal with a weight-reducing regimen led to additive effects on ambulatory BP and decreased heart rate. The effects were large, suggesting that cardiovascular risk and antihypertensive drug requirements are likely to be reduced substantially by combining dietary fish meals rich in omega3 fatty acids with weight-loss regimens in overweight medication-treated hypertensives. The reduction in heart rate seen with dietary fish suggests a cardiac/autonomic component, as well as vascular effects, of increased consumption of omega3 fatty acid from fish.

Effects of dietary fish and weight reduction on ambulatory blood pressure in overweight hypertensives

1. To examine possible mechanisms of antihypertensive effects of feeding fish oil rich in n-3 fatty acids, we have studied vascular reactivity of aortic rings and perfused mesenteric resistance vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) given such a diet. 2. In two experiments, rats were fed a semi-synthetic diet containing either 'fish oil' (10 and 20% by weight) or hydrogenated coconut oil (control) (10 and 20%) for 4 weeks. 3. Blood pressure rose significantly less in the fish oil group than in controls in both experiments. 4. Aortic rings from control rats showed endothelium-dependent relaxations to low concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) but relaxed less at higher concentrations. In contrast, rings from the fish oil group had relaxations which increased through the range of concentrations used. Indomethacin (10 microM) also increased the relaxation responses seen in rings from control rats, suggesting that fish oil inhibits a contractile cyclo-oxygenase product. This contractile substance may be thromboxane A2 (TxA2) or its endoperoxide precursor, prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) as aortic incubates and serum levels of TxB2 (the stable product of TxA2) were greatly reduced in fish oil-fed rats, and the decrease of relaxant responses to high concentrations of ACh were also blocked by a TxA2/PGH2 receptor blocker (SQ 29548). 5. In contrast to aortic rings, perfused preconstricted mesenteric resistance vessels of control rats relaxed to ACh in a similar fashion to tissues from fish oil-fed rats. However, in this preparation, fish oil feeding enhanced relaxations to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and contractile responses to noradrenaline were less than controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood pressure and vascular reactivity changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed fish oil.

1. To investigate possible mechanisms of increased systolic blood pressure after 1 weeks treatment with dexamethasone and its amelioration by fish oil feeding, we have examined the reactivity of aortic rings and perfused mesenteric resistance vessels. 2. Thirty six Sprague-Dawley rats were initially divided into two groups and fed a semisynthetic diet containing either (10% by weight) hydrogenated coconut oil and safflower oil mixture (HCO/S) (24 rats) or fish oil (12 rats) for 5 weeks. From the end of the fourth week, dexamethasone (1.25 mg ml-1) in drinking water, was given to half the rats on hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO/S+Dex) and to the fish oil-fed group (fish oil+Dex). 3. One week of dexamethasone treatment raised systolic blood pressure in the HCO/S+Dex rats but not in the fish oil+Dex group. 4. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) was decreased in aortic rings taken from HCO/S+Dex rats compared to rats on HCO/S alone. Relaxant responses to ACh of aortic rings from rats given fish oil+Dex were intermediate between the three groups. Aortic endothelium-independent responses to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were unchanged between the groups, while aortic contractile responses to noradrenaline were similar in all the groups. 5. In the perfused mesenteric resistance artery, sensitivity to noradrenaline was decreased in rats given fish oil and dexamethasone compared to the other two groups. There were no differences in resistance vessel relaxation to ACh or SNP between groups. 6. Serum corticosterone levels, used as a marker of dexamethasone absorption, were substantially suppressed in dexamethasone-treated rats but levels were higher in rats on fish oil than on HCO/S diets. 7. We suggest that the glucocorticoid-induced rise in systolic blood pressure may be due in part to decreased aortic compliance as a consequence of impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation and perhaps reduced nitric oxide synthesis. Fish oil feeding may ameliorate this rise in blood pressure through (i) changes in dexamethasone absorption, (ii) decrease in reactivity to noradrenaline of perfused mesenteric resistance arteries, (iii) an increase in endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh or a combination of these three factors.

https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1476-5381.1992.tb14352.x

Z.M. Chu

Papers

Blood pressure and vascular reactivity changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed fish oil.

Study of mechanisms of glucocorticoid hypertension in rats: endothelial related changes and their amelioration by dietary fish oils.