QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alexander, D. W. Articles by Fritsche, K. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alexander, D. W. Articles by Fritsche, K. L.

Fish Oils Lower Rat Plasma and Hepatic, but Not Immune Cell -Tocopherol Concentration^1,2,3,4,

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

These studies were designed to measure the impact of different fish oil sources of dietary (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid on the -tocopherol content of rat immune cells. In the first experiment, rats were fed diets containing either lard, corn oil, menhaden fish oil or cod liver oil. In the second study, sardine fish oil replaced corn oil. Dietary fat source did not significantly influence body weights or the yield of immune cells in either study. In both studies, plasma and liver -tocopherol concentrations were significantly lower in (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid-fed rats than in rats fed lard. In the first study, immune cell -tocopherol concentrations followed those observed in the plasma and liver. These concentrations closely paralleled the amount of RRR--tocopheryl acetate added to diets and not the total vitamin E present, which was the same for all treatment groups. However, in the second study, -tocopherol concentration of immune cells was not significantly different among rats fed lard, menhaden fish oil, and sardine fish oil. In that study both the amount and form of vitamin E were carefully balanced across dietary treatment groups. In conclusion, despite having similar amounts of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, two out of three fish oils tested did not lower immune cell -tocopherol concentration even in the face of significantly reduced plasma and liver -tocopherol concentrations.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin E • (n-3) fatty acids • fish oils • immune cells • rats

¹ Presented in part at the 1993 American Institute of Nutrition meeting (Anaheim, CA) [Alexander, D. W., Tibbetts, S. O., Cassity, N. A., Millsap, A. L., Riley, C. E. & Fritsche, K. L. (1993) Rat immune cell -tocopherol content is reduced by dietary fish oils. FASEB J. 7:A285 (abs. 1653)].

² Supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture grant #91-37200-6184.

³ Contribution from the Missouri Agriculture Experiment Station; Journal Series Number 12174.

⁴ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

⁵ To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed.

Manuscript received 8 August 1994. Revision accepted 28 April 1995.