J Clin Invest. 2021 Mar 15;131(6). doi: 10.1172/JCI147558.
Interest in omega-3 fatty acids (colloquially known as fish oils) to lower residual cardiovascular risk in statin-treated patients has increased markedly in the wake of recent cardiovascular outcome trials. The triglyceride-lowering effects of omega-3 fatty acids are generally thought to occur by reduced hepatic VLDL production. In this issue of the JCI, Grevengoed et al. used mouse models and human plasma samples to reveal an additional mechanism whereby these polyunsaturated fatty acids can lower plasma triglycerides. Their findings indicate that omega-3 fatty acid-derived N-acyl taurines (NATs) greatly accumulate in bile and also in plasma following omega-3 supplementation. The authors further show that one of these NATs (C22:6 NAT) inhibited intestinal triglyceride hydrolysis and lipid absorption, which resulted in lower plasma triglycerides and protection against hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation in mice fed a high-fat diet. The findings open a potential avenue for triglyceride lowering by omega-3 fatty acids conjugated to taurine.
人们对 ω-3 脂肪酸（俗称鱼油）降低他汀类药物治疗患者剩余心血管风险的兴趣，在最近的心血管结局试验之后显著增加。ω-3 脂肪酸降低甘油三酯的作用通常被认为是通过减少肝脏 VLDL 的产生而发生的。在本期 JCI 中，Grevengoed 等人使用小鼠模型和人类血浆样本揭示了这些多不饱和脂肪酸可以降低血浆甘油三酯的另一种机制。他们的研究结果表明，ω-3 脂肪酸衍生的 N-酰基牛磺酸（NATs）在补充 ω-3 脂肪酸后会在胆汁和血浆中大量积累。作者进一步表明，这些 NAT 之一（C22:6 NAT）抑制了肠道甘油三酯水解和脂质吸收，导致高脂饮食喂养的小鼠血浆甘油三酯降低，并防止肝脏三酰甘油积累。这些发现为 ω-3 脂肪酸与牛磺酸结合降低甘油三酯开辟了一条潜在途径。
