The effects on aortic and platelet fatty acid compositions and on blood levels of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 of low- and high-fat diets containing olive oil or sunflower oil were studied. For 4 weeks, four groups of weanling rats were fed a basal diet containing 5% or 25% olive oil or sunflower oil. Rats fed olive oil diets showed higher levels of 18:1(n-9) and polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series and lower percentages of 18:0 and 18:2(n-6) in aortic and platelet phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine than those fed the sunflower oil diets. Arachidonic acid increased in platelet phosphatidylethanolamine and aortic phosphatidylcholine of rats fed the diet containing 5% sunflower oil compared with those fed 5% olive oil. Plasma 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha increased in both groups of animals fed olive oil while these rats also showed the lowest levels of serum thromboxane B2 and plasma cholesterol. Olive oil feeding leads to changes in lipid metabolism of the vascular compartment that could be favorable in the prevention of thrombosis and atherosclerosis.
Antioxidant enzymes in liver and small intestine were investigated using control and streptozotocin diabetic rats fed diets with 5% olive, sunflower or fish oil for five weeks. In liver, GlutathionePeroxidase and Superoxide Dismutase decreased and in intestine Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) increased by diabetes. In isolated jejunum and ileum, this increase in GST activity was due to an increase in GST-a and -~t isoenzymes in jejunum and GST-~, la and -re in ileum. Since GST plays an important role in protecting tissues from oxidative damage, our results highlight the role of the intestine against free radicals in physiological or pathological situations.
In the present study, changes in phospholipid compositions of liver microsomes, erythrocyte membranes, platelets, aorta, cardiac muscle and brain of rats fed olive oil were compared with those of rats fed sunflower oil. Four groups of rats starting at weaning were fed for four weeks a basal diet containing 5 or 25% olive oil or sunflower oil. We found that oleic acid was higher and linoleic acid was lower in membrane phospholipids of olive oil fed rats compared to sunflower oil fed rats. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series were markedly elevated in all tissues of rats on the olive oil diets relative to those on the sunflower oil diets. The results are consistent with a lower linoleic/linolenic acid ratio induced by the olive oil diets, suggesting a positive correlation between olive oil ingestion and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in cell and tissue lipids. The study suggests that an adequate intake of olive oil may enhance the conversion of n-3 fatty acids.
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