Dietary supplementation with long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid isomers decreases atherosclerosis and alters lipoprotein proteomes in LDLr−/− mice

Abstract Background and aims Concentrated fish oils, containing a mixture of long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCMUFA) with aliphatic chains longer than 18 C atoms (i.e., C20:1 and C22:1), have been shown to attenuate atherosclerosis development in mouse models. It is not clear, however, how individual LCMUFA isomers may act on atherosclerosis. Methods In the present study, we used saury fish oil-derived concentrates enriched in either C20:1 or C22:1 isomer fractions to investigate their individual effect on atherosclerosis and lipoprotein metabolism. LDLR-deficient ( LDLr−/− ) mice were fed a Western diet supplemented with 5% (w/w) of either C20:1 or C22:1 concentrate for 12 wk. Results Compared to the control Western diet with no supplement, both LCMUFA isomers increased hepatic levels of LCMUFA by 2∼3-fold ( p