Bruce Holub - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Bruce Holub
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2019
Abundant data are now available to evaluate relationships between seafood consumption in pregnanc... more Abundant data are now available to evaluate relationships between seafood consumption in pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development. We conducted two systematic reviews utilizing methodologies detailed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee 2020-2025. After reviewing 44 publications on 106,237 mother-offspring pairs and 25,960 children, our technical expert committee developed two conclusion statements that included the following: "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of a wide range of amounts and types of commercially available seafood during pregnancy is associated with improved neurocognitive development of offspring as compared to eating no seafood. Overall, benefits to neurocognitive development began at the lowest amounts of seafood consumed (∼4 oz/wk) and continued through the highest amounts, above 12 oz/wk, some range up to > 100 oz/wk.", "This evidence does not meet the criteria for "strong evidence" only due to a paucity of randomized controlled trials that may not be ethical or feasible to conduct for pregnancy" and "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of > 4 oz/wk and likely > 12 oz/wk of seafood during childhood has beneficial associations with neurocognitive outcomes." No net adverse neurocognitive outcomes were reported among offspring at the highest ranges of seafood intakes despite associated increases in mercury exposures. Data are insufficient for conclusive statements regarding lactation, optimal amounts, categories or specific species characterized by mercury content and neurocognitive development; although there is some evidence that dark/oily seafood may be more beneficial. Research was conducted in healthy women and children and is generalizable to US populations. Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications. rich source of key nutrients that are biologically essential for optimal fetal and child neurodevelopment including iodine, vitamin B 12 , iron, vitamin D, zinc, manganese and highly unsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids [1]. Women are more likely to the achieve optimal intakes of these nutrients when consuming seafood in pregnancy [2].
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-ω3 PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA... more Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-ω3 PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), play key roles in physiological functions and disease prevention. The nutrient gap in meeting LC-ω3 intake recommendations in the U.S. and globally can be addressed by alternative sources of LC-ω3. This randomized, placebo-controlled, seamless phase I/II study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of a transgenic LC-ω3-rich canola oil in healthy adults. Participants (n = 33/group) were randomized to receive low-, mid-, or high-dose of the LC-ω3-rich oil (providing 285, 570, or 1,140 mg LC-ω3 PUFA, respectively) or placebo (corn oil). After one dose, plasma ω3 (primary outcome) levels were assessed over a 72 h pharmacokinetic period. Whole blood and red blood cells (RBC) ω3 and serum cardiovascular biomarkers were assessed during a 16-week continuation period with daily supplementation. Compared to low-dose and placebo, high-dose group show...
Journal of Great Lakes Research
The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been monitoring ... more The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been monitoring contaminant concentrations in the fillet portions of fish from the 1836 treaty-ceded waters of lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan since 1991. The goal is to provide up to date consumption advice for their CORA member tribes. For the first time since the program started, CORA has included fatty acid analysis in 2016 monitoring of fish in Lake Superior. Ten species were targeted by CORA based on 25 years of experience and regular discussions with Anishinaabe fish consumers. This paper reports these results and presents some preliminary discussion of the consequences for consumption advice for the CORA member tribes who inhabit the Great Lakes region. Six of the species were sampled from Lake Huron and Lake Superior and four were sampled from supermarkets. Wild caught fish are an important link to the culture of Great Lakes Native American tribes and important sources of food and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA N-3). While some PUFA N-3 data from the Great Lakes is available, this dataset provides an important supplement and is specific to the 1836-treaty ceded waters of CORA. This paper confirms the presence of PUFA N-3s in Great Lakes fish traditionally harvested by the CORA tribes.
Nutrition, 2002
OBJECTIVES: We compared serum phospholipid fatty acid compositions, in particular the status of-3... more OBJECTIVES: We compared serum phospholipid fatty acid compositions, in particular the status of-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), of postmenopausal Greenland Inuit women and postmenopausal Canadian women at baseline and after supplementing the Canadian women with a fish-oil product. METHODS: Fasting serum samples were collected from 15 Inuit subjects from Greenland and 16 non-Inuit subjects from Canada. In addition, eight Canadian subjects provided fasting serum samples after completing a long-chain-3 PUFA intervention (2.4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] plus 1.6 g of docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] per day) for 28 d. Fatty acid compositions of serum phospholipids of the samples were determined and compared by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: In comparison with the Greenlanders, baseline Canadian women had 73% and 46% less EPA (20:5-3) and DHA (22:6-3), respectively, and 32% and 91% more linoleic acid (LA; 18:2-6) and arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4-6), respectively. The-3 supplementation in Canadian women increased DHA and decreased LA levels to approach those in Greenland Inuit and raised EPA levels to surpass (45% higher) those in Greenland women (P Ͻ 0.0001). In contrast, AA was only moderately lowered (by 16% overall) such that AA levels remained 62% higher in the supplemented Canadians than in the Greenlanders (P Ͻ 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term EPA plus DHA supplementation of postmenopausal North American women can mimic the high EPA and DHA levels and lower LA levels in corresponding Inuit women but not the markedly lower levels of AA. The present findings also support the hypothesis of genetically decreased ⌬5-desaturase potential in the Greenland Inuit compared with Canadian postmenopausal women.
chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce atrial
CMAJ - Canadian Medical Association Journal, Mar 5, 2002
This article has been peer reviewed.
This article has been peer reviewed.
A Ramadeen, BSc; G Laurent, MD PhD; CC dos Santos, MD MSc; X Hu, MD; KA Connelly, MD PhD; BJ Holu... more A Ramadeen, BSc; G Laurent, MD PhD; CC dos Santos, MD MSc; X Hu, MD; KA Connelly, MD PhD; BJ Holub, PhD; I Mangat, MD; P Dorian, MD MSc 1 Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 3 Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada 4 Department of Cardiology, University Hospital BOCAGE, Dijon, France 5 Division of Cardiology, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 6 Department of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 7 Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada 8 Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Does the form of omega-3 make a difference when it comes to bioavailability—and will more science... more Does the form of omega-3 make a difference when it comes to bioavailability—and will more science be dedicated to elucidating the differences?
During pregnancy, (n-3) PUFA are incorporated into fetal brain and retinal lipids. Docosahexaenoi... more During pregnancy, (n-3) PUFA are incorporated into fetal brain and retinal lipids. Docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6(n-3)], in particular, is required physiologically for optimal development and function of the central nervous system. Maternal intake of (n-3) PUFA must be sufficient to maintain maternal tissues stores and meet fetal accruement. Recommendations for pregnant women include an Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) of 0.6–1.2% of energy for (n-3) PUFA intake in the current Dietary Reference Intakes, and 300 mg/d of DHA suggested by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids working group. The present study directly quantitated the (n-3) PUFA intake, including DHA, of pregnant, Canadian women (n 20) in their 2nd and 3rd trimester. Fatty acid intakes were quantitated in triplicate by lipid extraction and GLC of 3-d duplicate food collections calibrated with an internal standard before homogenization. Total fat intakes were also estimated u...
Introduction The impact of consuming long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid... more Introduction The impact of consuming long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) plus DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from fish/fish oils has been extensively studied in clinical trials (1,2) and shown to have beneficial effects on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) . These risk factors include those that can readily be determined via a regular medical check-up with a personal physician (and/or self home-monitoring for some) as well as others (eg., blood platelet aggregation , vascular resistance, inflammatory factors ) which are not routinely measured or readily available in the health care system. The present summary will focus on the former category of risk factors and will include blood lipid/lipoprotein levels, blood pressures, and resting heart rate. Increased intakes of EPA/DHA can serve in the complementary management of these risk factors (ie, added to other therapeutic treatments including pharmacological). Numerous human studies have indica...
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk, although the m... more Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk, although the mechanisms are incompletely understood. In a previous article, we showed significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and several markers of inflammation with increasing intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from walnuts and flax. To examine effects of ALA on cardiovascular responses to acute stress, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, and blood concentrations of endothelin-1 and arginine-vasopressin (AVP). Using a randomized, crossover study design, cardiovascular responses to acute stress were assessed in 20 hypercholesterolemic subjects, a subset of whom also underwent FMD testing (n = 12). Participants were fed an average American diet (AAD) and 2 experimental diets that varied in the amount of ALA and linoleic acid (LA) that they contained. The AAD provided 8.7% energy from PUFA (7.7% LA, 0.8% ALA). On the LA diet, saturated fat was reduced, and PUFA from walnuts and walnut oil provided 16.4% of energy (12.6% LA, 3.6% ALA). On the ALA diet, walnuts, walnut oil, and flax oil provided 17% energy from PUFA (10.5% LA, 6.5% ALA). The ALA and LA diets significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure (-2 to -3 mm Hg) and total peripheral resistance (-4%), and this effect was evident at rest and during stress (main effect of diet, p < 0.02). FMD increased (+34%) on the diet containing additional ALA. AVP also increased by 20%, and endothelin-1 was unchanged. These results suggest novel mechanisms for the cardioprotective effects of walnuts and flax, and further work is needed to identify the bioactives responsible for these effects.
Journal of Lipid Research
Annals of nutrition & metabolism, Jan 8, 2018
A wealth of information on the functional roles of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic aci... more A wealth of information on the functional roles of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) from cellular, animal, and human studies is available. Yet, there remains a lack of cohesion in policymaking for recommended dietary intakes of DHA and ARA in early life. This is predominantly driven by inconsistent findings from a relatively small number of randomised clinical trials (RCTs), which vary in design, methodology, and outcome measures, all of which were conducted in high-income countries. It is proposed that this selective evidence base may not fully represent the biological importance of DHA and ARA during early and later life and the aim of this paper is to consider a more inclusive and pragmatic approach to evidence assessment of DHA and ARA requirements in infants and young children, which will allow policymaking to reflect the marked diversity of need worldwide. Data from clinical RCTs is considered in the context of the extensive evidence from experimental, ani...
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism
The conversion of l-[ 14C]acy1-srz-giycero-3-phosphoserine into molecular species of [ "C]phospha... more The conversion of l-[ 14C]acy1-srz-giycero-3-phosphoserine into molecular species of [ "C]phosphatidylserine was studied using rat liver homogenate and microsomal preparations in the absence of added fatty acyl moieties. In liver homogenates, 81% of the newly-formed phosphatidylserines were tetraenoic (arachidonoyl) species while saturated, monoenoic, dienoic, trienoic, pentaenoic, and hexaenoic (docosahexaenoyl) species each represented 2-5s of the total. A similar pattern of molecular species was produced in liver microsomes. The selectivity of the microsomal acyl-CoA : 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine acyltransferase towards different acyl-CoA derivatives was also investigated. The relative suitability of the various acyl-CoA esters as substrates was found to be of the following order: 20 : 4 = 18 : 2 >> 18 : 1 > 16 : 0 = 18 : 0. These results with endogenous acyl donors suggest that the acylation of 1-acyl.~-glycero-3-phosphoserine may partly account for the enrichment of liver phosphatidylserine in arachidonic acid but does not appear to be primarily responsible for the preponderance of docosahexaenoic acid in this phospholipid. The fatty acid specificity of the acyl-CoA : 1acyl-sn-glycero-3phosphoserine acyltransferase may contribute to the preferential formation of arachidonoyl phosphatidylserine.
Journal of Interdisiplinary Cycle Research
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2019
Abundant data are now available to evaluate relationships between seafood consumption in pregnanc... more Abundant data are now available to evaluate relationships between seafood consumption in pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development. We conducted two systematic reviews utilizing methodologies detailed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee 2020-2025. After reviewing 44 publications on 106,237 mother-offspring pairs and 25,960 children, our technical expert committee developed two conclusion statements that included the following: "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of a wide range of amounts and types of commercially available seafood during pregnancy is associated with improved neurocognitive development of offspring as compared to eating no seafood. Overall, benefits to neurocognitive development began at the lowest amounts of seafood consumed (∼4 oz/wk) and continued through the highest amounts, above 12 oz/wk, some range up to > 100 oz/wk.", "This evidence does not meet the criteria for "strong evidence" only due to a paucity of randomized controlled trials that may not be ethical or feasible to conduct for pregnancy" and "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of > 4 oz/wk and likely > 12 oz/wk of seafood during childhood has beneficial associations with neurocognitive outcomes." No net adverse neurocognitive outcomes were reported among offspring at the highest ranges of seafood intakes despite associated increases in mercury exposures. Data are insufficient for conclusive statements regarding lactation, optimal amounts, categories or specific species characterized by mercury content and neurocognitive development; although there is some evidence that dark/oily seafood may be more beneficial. Research was conducted in healthy women and children and is generalizable to US populations. Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications. rich source of key nutrients that are biologically essential for optimal fetal and child neurodevelopment including iodine, vitamin B 12 , iron, vitamin D, zinc, manganese and highly unsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids [1]. Women are more likely to the achieve optimal intakes of these nutrients when consuming seafood in pregnancy [2].
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-ω3 PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA... more Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-ω3 PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), play key roles in physiological functions and disease prevention. The nutrient gap in meeting LC-ω3 intake recommendations in the U.S. and globally can be addressed by alternative sources of LC-ω3. This randomized, placebo-controlled, seamless phase I/II study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of a transgenic LC-ω3-rich canola oil in healthy adults. Participants (n = 33/group) were randomized to receive low-, mid-, or high-dose of the LC-ω3-rich oil (providing 285, 570, or 1,140 mg LC-ω3 PUFA, respectively) or placebo (corn oil). After one dose, plasma ω3 (primary outcome) levels were assessed over a 72 h pharmacokinetic period. Whole blood and red blood cells (RBC) ω3 and serum cardiovascular biomarkers were assessed during a 16-week continuation period with daily supplementation. Compared to low-dose and placebo, high-dose group show...
Journal of Great Lakes Research
The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been monitoring ... more The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been monitoring contaminant concentrations in the fillet portions of fish from the 1836 treaty-ceded waters of lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan since 1991. The goal is to provide up to date consumption advice for their CORA member tribes. For the first time since the program started, CORA has included fatty acid analysis in 2016 monitoring of fish in Lake Superior. Ten species were targeted by CORA based on 25 years of experience and regular discussions with Anishinaabe fish consumers. This paper reports these results and presents some preliminary discussion of the consequences for consumption advice for the CORA member tribes who inhabit the Great Lakes region. Six of the species were sampled from Lake Huron and Lake Superior and four were sampled from supermarkets. Wild caught fish are an important link to the culture of Great Lakes Native American tribes and important sources of food and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA N-3). While some PUFA N-3 data from the Great Lakes is available, this dataset provides an important supplement and is specific to the 1836-treaty ceded waters of CORA. This paper confirms the presence of PUFA N-3s in Great Lakes fish traditionally harvested by the CORA tribes.
Nutrition, 2002
OBJECTIVES: We compared serum phospholipid fatty acid compositions, in particular the status of-3... more OBJECTIVES: We compared serum phospholipid fatty acid compositions, in particular the status of-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), of postmenopausal Greenland Inuit women and postmenopausal Canadian women at baseline and after supplementing the Canadian women with a fish-oil product. METHODS: Fasting serum samples were collected from 15 Inuit subjects from Greenland and 16 non-Inuit subjects from Canada. In addition, eight Canadian subjects provided fasting serum samples after completing a long-chain-3 PUFA intervention (2.4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] plus 1.6 g of docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] per day) for 28 d. Fatty acid compositions of serum phospholipids of the samples were determined and compared by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: In comparison with the Greenlanders, baseline Canadian women had 73% and 46% less EPA (20:5-3) and DHA (22:6-3), respectively, and 32% and 91% more linoleic acid (LA; 18:2-6) and arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4-6), respectively. The-3 supplementation in Canadian women increased DHA and decreased LA levels to approach those in Greenland Inuit and raised EPA levels to surpass (45% higher) those in Greenland women (P Ͻ 0.0001). In contrast, AA was only moderately lowered (by 16% overall) such that AA levels remained 62% higher in the supplemented Canadians than in the Greenlanders (P Ͻ 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term EPA plus DHA supplementation of postmenopausal North American women can mimic the high EPA and DHA levels and lower LA levels in corresponding Inuit women but not the markedly lower levels of AA. The present findings also support the hypothesis of genetically decreased ⌬5-desaturase potential in the Greenland Inuit compared with Canadian postmenopausal women.
chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce atrial
CMAJ - Canadian Medical Association Journal, Mar 5, 2002
This article has been peer reviewed.
This article has been peer reviewed.
A Ramadeen, BSc; G Laurent, MD PhD; CC dos Santos, MD MSc; X Hu, MD; KA Connelly, MD PhD; BJ Holu... more A Ramadeen, BSc; G Laurent, MD PhD; CC dos Santos, MD MSc; X Hu, MD; KA Connelly, MD PhD; BJ Holub, PhD; I Mangat, MD; P Dorian, MD MSc 1 Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 3 Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada 4 Department of Cardiology, University Hospital BOCAGE, Dijon, France 5 Division of Cardiology, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 6 Department of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 7 Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada 8 Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Does the form of omega-3 make a difference when it comes to bioavailability—and will more science... more Does the form of omega-3 make a difference when it comes to bioavailability—and will more science be dedicated to elucidating the differences?
During pregnancy, (n-3) PUFA are incorporated into fetal brain and retinal lipids. Docosahexaenoi... more During pregnancy, (n-3) PUFA are incorporated into fetal brain and retinal lipids. Docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6(n-3)], in particular, is required physiologically for optimal development and function of the central nervous system. Maternal intake of (n-3) PUFA must be sufficient to maintain maternal tissues stores and meet fetal accruement. Recommendations for pregnant women include an Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) of 0.6–1.2% of energy for (n-3) PUFA intake in the current Dietary Reference Intakes, and 300 mg/d of DHA suggested by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids working group. The present study directly quantitated the (n-3) PUFA intake, including DHA, of pregnant, Canadian women (n 20) in their 2nd and 3rd trimester. Fatty acid intakes were quantitated in triplicate by lipid extraction and GLC of 3-d duplicate food collections calibrated with an internal standard before homogenization. Total fat intakes were also estimated u...
Introduction The impact of consuming long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid... more Introduction The impact of consuming long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) plus DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from fish/fish oils has been extensively studied in clinical trials (1,2) and shown to have beneficial effects on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) . These risk factors include those that can readily be determined via a regular medical check-up with a personal physician (and/or self home-monitoring for some) as well as others (eg., blood platelet aggregation , vascular resistance, inflammatory factors ) which are not routinely measured or readily available in the health care system. The present summary will focus on the former category of risk factors and will include blood lipid/lipoprotein levels, blood pressures, and resting heart rate. Increased intakes of EPA/DHA can serve in the complementary management of these risk factors (ie, added to other therapeutic treatments including pharmacological). Numerous human studies have indica...
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk, although the m... more Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk, although the mechanisms are incompletely understood. In a previous article, we showed significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and several markers of inflammation with increasing intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from walnuts and flax. To examine effects of ALA on cardiovascular responses to acute stress, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, and blood concentrations of endothelin-1 and arginine-vasopressin (AVP). Using a randomized, crossover study design, cardiovascular responses to acute stress were assessed in 20 hypercholesterolemic subjects, a subset of whom also underwent FMD testing (n = 12). Participants were fed an average American diet (AAD) and 2 experimental diets that varied in the amount of ALA and linoleic acid (LA) that they contained. The AAD provided 8.7% energy from PUFA (7.7% LA, 0.8% ALA). On the LA diet, saturated fat was reduced, and PUFA from walnuts and walnut oil provided 16.4% of energy (12.6% LA, 3.6% ALA). On the ALA diet, walnuts, walnut oil, and flax oil provided 17% energy from PUFA (10.5% LA, 6.5% ALA). The ALA and LA diets significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure (-2 to -3 mm Hg) and total peripheral resistance (-4%), and this effect was evident at rest and during stress (main effect of diet, p < 0.02). FMD increased (+34%) on the diet containing additional ALA. AVP also increased by 20%, and endothelin-1 was unchanged. These results suggest novel mechanisms for the cardioprotective effects of walnuts and flax, and further work is needed to identify the bioactives responsible for these effects.
Journal of Lipid Research
Annals of nutrition & metabolism, Jan 8, 2018
A wealth of information on the functional roles of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic aci... more A wealth of information on the functional roles of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) from cellular, animal, and human studies is available. Yet, there remains a lack of cohesion in policymaking for recommended dietary intakes of DHA and ARA in early life. This is predominantly driven by inconsistent findings from a relatively small number of randomised clinical trials (RCTs), which vary in design, methodology, and outcome measures, all of which were conducted in high-income countries. It is proposed that this selective evidence base may not fully represent the biological importance of DHA and ARA during early and later life and the aim of this paper is to consider a more inclusive and pragmatic approach to evidence assessment of DHA and ARA requirements in infants and young children, which will allow policymaking to reflect the marked diversity of need worldwide. Data from clinical RCTs is considered in the context of the extensive evidence from experimental, ani...
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism
The conversion of l-[ 14C]acy1-srz-giycero-3-phosphoserine into molecular species of [ "C]phospha... more The conversion of l-[ 14C]acy1-srz-giycero-3-phosphoserine into molecular species of [ "C]phosphatidylserine was studied using rat liver homogenate and microsomal preparations in the absence of added fatty acyl moieties. In liver homogenates, 81% of the newly-formed phosphatidylserines were tetraenoic (arachidonoyl) species while saturated, monoenoic, dienoic, trienoic, pentaenoic, and hexaenoic (docosahexaenoyl) species each represented 2-5s of the total. A similar pattern of molecular species was produced in liver microsomes. The selectivity of the microsomal acyl-CoA : 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine acyltransferase towards different acyl-CoA derivatives was also investigated. The relative suitability of the various acyl-CoA esters as substrates was found to be of the following order: 20 : 4 = 18 : 2 >> 18 : 1 > 16 : 0 = 18 : 0. These results with endogenous acyl donors suggest that the acylation of 1-acyl.~-glycero-3-phosphoserine may partly account for the enrichment of liver phosphatidylserine in arachidonic acid but does not appear to be primarily responsible for the preponderance of docosahexaenoic acid in this phospholipid. The fatty acid specificity of the acyl-CoA : 1acyl-sn-glycero-3phosphoserine acyltransferase may contribute to the preferential formation of arachidonoyl phosphatidylserine.
Journal of Interdisiplinary Cycle Research