Pretreatment with fish oil attenuates heart ischemia consequences in rats

Abstract

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA)-rich fish oil supplementation has protective effects on heart ischemic injury. Left ventricular (LV) ischemia was induced in rats by permanent ligation of the left coronary artery. Saline, fish oil or soybean oil was administered daily by gavage (3 g kg⁻¹ b.w.) for 20 days before inducing ischemia. Outcomes were assessed 24 hours after left coronary artery ligation. Pretreatment with fish oil decreased the ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio in the LV. Reduction in infarct size and in the intensity of ventricular systolic dysfunction was found in the fish oil group as compared with the saline or soybean oil groups through echocardiographic evaluation. LV glycogen levels were decreased in the fish oil group as compared with the saline before infarction. Soybean oil pretreatment led to a further increase in the LV levels of CINC 2/αβ, IL1β and TNFα induced by the heart infarction. In heart infarcted rats, fish oil pretreatment decreased creatine kinase and caspase 3 activities; prevented the decrease in the coronary blood flow; increased LV levels of ATP and lactate; increased the mRNA levels of iNOS, eNOS, HIF-1α, GLUT-1, VEGF-α and p53 in the LV as measured by RT-PCR; and did not change LV pro-inflammatory cytokine levels as compared to the control group. Fish oil protected the heart from ischemia as indicated by the decrease in the heart infarction area and systolic dysfunction associated with increased LV ATP levels and maintenance of the coronary blood flow with no change in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

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