Botanical oils enriched in n-6 and n-3 FADS2 products are equally effective in preventing atherosclerosis and fatty liver.

ABSTRACT

Echium oil (EO), which is enriched in 184 n-3, the immediate product of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) desaturation of 183 n-3, is as atheroprotective as fish oil (FO). The objective of this study was to determine whether botanical oils enriched in the FADS2 products 183 n-6 versus 184 n-3 are equally atheroprotective. LDL receptor KO mice were fed one of four atherogenic diets containing 0.2% cholesterol and 10% calories as palm oil (PO) plus 10% calories as 1) PO; 2) borage oil (BO; 183 n-6 enriched); 3) EO (184 n-3 enriched); or 4) FO for 16 weeks. Mice fed BO, EO, and FO versus PO had significantly lower plasma total and VLDL cholesterol concentrations; hepatic neutral lipid content and inflammation, aortic CE content, aortic root intimal area and macrophage content; and peritoneal macrophage inflammation, CE content, and ex vivo chemotaxis. Atheromas lacked oxidized CEs despite abundant generation of macrophage 12/15 lipooxygenase-derived metabolites. We conclude that botanical oils enriched in 183 n-6 and 184 n-3 PUFAs beyond the rate-limiting FADS2 enzyme are equally effective in preventing atherosclerosis and hepatosteatosis compared with saturated/monounsaturated fat due to cellular enrichment of ≥20 PUFAs, reduced plasma VLDL, and attenuated macrophage inflammation.