Objective: To investigate the effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) on the hemorheology and coagulation function of high-fat induced atherosclerotic rats and understand the underlying mechanism.
Methods: Twenty-four Wistar rats were assigned randomly into 3 groups: normal control, model and n-3PUFAs treatment (n = 8 in each). The rats in model and treatment groups were injected with a single dose of vitamin D(3) (600,000 U/kg) and fed with a high-fat diet. Basic chow was provided for normal control group. After a 6-week high-fat diet, the rats in treatment group were treated with n-3PUFAs at 250 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) by gastric tube. The serum lipid, aortal morphological changes, hemorheology, coagulation, nitric oxide (NO), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malonaldehyde (MDA) were detected after a 6-week n-3PUFAs diet.
Results: Compared with control group, model group rat total cholesterol (TC), low density cholesterol (LDL-C), plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity, fibrinogen (FIB) and MDA concentrations were higher (all P < 0.05), but activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), erythrocyte deformation index(DI), plasma NO and T-AOC were lower (all P < 0.05). Compared with model group, n-3PUFAs could reduce blood lipid levels, inhibit atherosclerotic plaque formation, decrease plasma viscosity [(1.58 ± 0.23) mPa·s vs (1.81 ± 0.16) mPa·s], whole blood viscosity [(4.76 ± 0.42) mPa·s vs (5.47 ± 0.41) mPa·s, (4.24 ± 0.32) mPa·s vs (4.91 ± 0.39) mPa·s, (4.04 ± 0.29) mPa·s vs (4.58 ± 0.33) mPa·s] and FIB [(2.45 ± 0.12)g/L vs (2.65 ± 0.13) g/L], lower MDA content [(10.1 ± 0.7) µmol/ml vs (11.2 ± 0.6) µmol/ml], prolong APTT, PT and TT [(29.04 ± 0.49)s vs (26.46 ± 0.25) s, (13.86 ± 0.55) s vs (10.71 ± 0.34) s, (23.05 ± 0.24) s vs (20.90 ± 0.68) s], increase erythrocyte DI (0.35 ± 0.01 vs 0.31 ± 0.02), plasma NO [(3.9 ± 0.7) nmol/ml vs (2.8 ± 0.7) nmol/ml] and T-AOC levels [(8.0 ± 0.6) U/ml vs (6.7 ± 0.6) U/ml]of atherosclerotic rats (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion: n-3PUFAs may improve hemorheology and coagulation of atherosclerotic rats, reduce oxidative stress, improve endothelial function and inhibit atherosclerotic plaque formation.