Reduction in plasma glucose after lipid changes in mice fed fish oil, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid diets.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Effects of the dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and fish oil on weekly changes in plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and phospholipid concentrations of male Crlj:CD-1 mice were investigated.

METHOD: Animals were fed five different experimental diets which contained 6.0% lard (lard diet), 6.0% fish oil (fish oil diet), 1.5% DHA-ethyl ester+4.5% lard (DHA diet), 0.4% EPA-ethyl ester+5.6% lard (EPA diet), and 1.5% DHA-ethyl ester+0.4% EPA ethyl ester+4.1% lard (DHA+EPA diet) for 17 weeks. Glucose and lipid concentrations in plasma collected at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 were measured.

RESULTS: Plasma phospholipid concentrations were significantly lower in mice fed the fish oil and DHA+EPA diets than in those fed the lard diet at week 2. Plasma total cholesterol and glucose concentrations were significantly lower in the fish oil diet group than in the lard diet group at weeks 6 and 8, respectively.

CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the decreases in plasma glucose concentrations in response to intakes of DHA and EPA in mice take place over a longer period of time than similar decreases in the plasma lipid concentrations.