Plasma n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and inflammatory markers in Chinese vegetarians.

BACKGROUND: Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake favorably affects chronic inflammatory-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease; however, the relationship between the PUFA and inflammatory factors in the healthy vegetarians were not clear. We aimed to investigate the plasma fatty acids status, and its association with plasma inflammatory factors in Chinese vegetarians and omnivores. METHODS: A total of 89 male vegetarians and 106 male omnivores were participated the study. Plasma concentrations of inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA, and as standard methods fatty acids were extracted and determined by chromatography. RESULTS: Compared with omnivores, vegetarians have significant higher interleukin-6 (IL-6), plasma n-6 PUFA, n-6/n-3, and 18:3n-3; while they have significant lower leukotriene B4 (LTB4), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and n-3 PUFA. In vegetarians, plasma 20:4n-6 was significant positively related to TNF-α. LTB4 was significantly positively related to plasma 22:6n-3, and negatively associated with n-6 PUFA. CONCLUSION: Vegetarians have higher plasma n-6 PUFA and IL-6, but lower LTB4, n-3 PUFA, 22:6n-3, COX2 and PGE2 levels. It would seem appropriate for vegetarians to increase their dietary n-3 PUFA, while reduce dietary n-6 PUFA and thus reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory-related diseases.

Associations of plasma phospholipid fatty acids with plasma homocysteine in Chinese vegetarians.

The association of plasma phospholipid (PL) fatty acid composition with plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in Chinese vegetarians is not understood. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the plasma PL fatty acid status, and its association with plasma Hcy in Chinese vegetarians and omnivores. A total of 103 male vegetarians and 128 male omnivores were recruited in Linyin Temple, Hangzhou. Plasma Hcy and PL fatty acid concentrations were determined by standard methods. Compared with omnivores, plasma PL n-3 PUFA (P< 0·001), 22 : 6n-3 (P< 0·001), 22 : 5n-6 (P= 0·021), 22 : 2n-6 (P< 0·001) and SFA (P= 0·017) were significantly lower, while plasma PL n-6 PUFA (P= 0·007) and total PUFA (P< 0·001) were significantly higher in vegetarians. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) in vegetarians (26·47 %) was significantly higher than that in omnivores (13·28 %). In vegetarians, plasma PL 22 : 6n-3 (r − 0·257, P= 0·046) was significantly negatively associated with plasma Hcy. In omnivores, plasma PL 18 : 1n-7 (r 0·237, P= 0·030) was significantly positively associated with plasma Hcy. Plasma PL 22 : 6n-3 (r − 0·217, P= 0·048) was negatively associated with plasma Hcy in omnivores. Plasma PL SFA were positively associated with the prevalence of HHcy. It would seem appropriate for vegetarians to increase their dietary n-3 PUFA and decrease dietary SFA, and thus reduce the risk of HHcy.

Associations of plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors among Chinese.

The relationship between plasma fatty acid (FA) levels and hypertension in Chinese is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between plasma phospholipid (PL) FAs and hypertension in Chinese subjects. One thousand one hundred and fifty-four subjects in Hangzhou, China, were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Two hundred and fourteen (160 males, 54 females) subjects with hypertension and 940 (664 males, 276 females) healthy subjects were identified. The prevalence of hypertension in females (19.6%) was significantly higher than that in males (16.4%). Compared with healthy subjects, hypertensive subjects showed significantly lower plasma PL 22:5n-3 (p = 0.017), 22:6n-3 (p = 0.008), PL polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; p < 0.001), n-3 PUFA (p = 0.015), n-6 PUFA (p < 0.001) and 20:4n-6 (p < 0.010). PL n-3 PUFA [odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.29-1.19] and n-3:n-6 (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.12-1.86) were inversely associated with hypertension. However, plasma saturated fatty acid (SFA; OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.05-2.98) was significantly positively associated with hypertension. PL SFA was significantly positively associated with systolic blood pressure (p = 0.048), whereas plasma PL monounsaturated FA was significantly positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP; p = 0.009) in hypertensive subjects. PL PUFA (p = 0.022) and n-3 PUFA (p = 0.047) were significantly negatively associated with DBP in hypertensive subjects. Our results suggest that plasma PL n-3 PUFA was significantly inversely associated with hypertension in Chinese. It would seem appropriate for hypertensive subjects to increase their dietary n-3 PUFA which may help reduce BP.