Dietary long-chain n-3 PUFAs increase LPL gene expression in adipose tissue of subjects with an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype

Khan, S., Minihane, A. M., Talmud, P. J., Wright, J. W., Murphy, M. C., Williams, C. M. and Griffin, B. A. (2002) Dietary long-chain n-3 PUFAs increase LPL gene expression in adipose tissue of subjects with an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype. Journal of Lipid Research (43). pp. 979-985. ISSN 1539-7262

Abstract/Summary

We sought to test the hypothesis that dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA (LC n-3 PUFA) in fish oil stimulate the gene expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in human adipose tissue (AT). In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, 51 male subjects expressing an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype (ALP) had their diets supplemented with fish oil for 6 weeks. As we previously reported for this group, supplementation with LC n-3 PUFA produced a decrease in fasting plasma triglyceride (TG) (−35%, P < 0.05), attenuation of the postprandial TG response (area and incremental area under the curve; AUC and IAUC, P < 0.05), and a decrease in small, dense LDL. The present study extended these observations by showing that these changes were accompanied by a marked increase in the concentration of LPL mRNA in adipose tissue (AT-LPL mRNA, +55%, P = 0.003) and post-heparin LPL activity (PH-LPL, +31%, P = 0.036). There was also evidence of an association between LPL gene expression and polymorphism in the apolipoprotein E gene. We conclude that the favorable influence of dietary n-3 PUFA on the ALP may be mediated, in part, through an increase in the plasma activity and gene expression of lipoprotein lipase in human adipose tissue.