Platelet function, thromboxane formation and blood pressure control during supplementation of the Western diet with cod liver oil

A 40 ml/day supplement of cod liver oil containing about 10 g omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was added to a Western diet fed to 8 healthy males (ages 22-42) for 25 days to clinically assess the potential antiatherothrombic effect of these fatty acids. The omega-3 PUFA were incorporated into platelet and erythrocyte membrane phospholipids in lieu of omega-6 PUFA. In addition, bleeding time increased, while platelet count and aggregation (upon ADP and collagen), and associated thromboxane B2 formation all decreased. Blood pressure and its response to norepinephrine and angiotensin also decreased. These changes were reversed 4 weeks after cod liver oil exclusion from the diet. Hence, the moderate omega-3 PUFA provided by this supplement notably altered membrane phospholipids, and was implicated in a shift towards less reactive platelets and a blunted circulatory response to blood pressure hormones. (wz)