Dietary Fatty Acids and Heart Structure in Rats
Author Information
Author(s): Kimberly M Jeckel, Kelsey E Miller, Adam J Chicco, Phillip L Chapman, Christopher M Mulligan, Paul H Falcone, Melissa L Miller, Michael J Pagliassotti, Melinda A Frye
Primary Institution: Colorado State University
Hypothesis
Long-term feeding of a high saturated fat diet would be associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, and that concomitant intake of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA would exacerbate and attenuate, respectively, this early structural change.
Conclusion
Replacing 10% saturated fat with either linoleic acid or alpha-linolenic acid leads to thickening of the cranial left ventricular wall without affecting heart function.
Supporting Evidence
- Rats fed high-fat diets had increased left ventricular wall thickness.
- High-fat diets did not change heart function despite structural changes.
- Increased myocyte size was observed in all fat-fed groups.
Takeaway
Feeding rats a high-fat diet changes their heart structure, making it thicker, but it doesn't make their heart work worse.
Methodology
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different high-fat diets for 32 weeks, and various cardiac measurements were taken.
Limitations
The study used interventricular septal tissue for measurements, which may not fully represent changes in the left ventricular free wall.
Participant Demographics
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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