Fish oil supplementation attenuates free radical generation in short-term coronary occlusion-reperfusion in cholesterol-fed rabbits.

We studied the changes in lipid peroxidation and prostanoid metabolism in short-term coronary occlusion-reperfusion in controls and those rabbits (11 in each group) fed a 1% high cholesterol diet with or without 10% fish oil supplementation for one week. Acute coronary occlusion for 10 minutes was induced by ligating the marginal branch of the left circumflex coronary artery. The vessels were then reperfused for 1 hour. The cholesterol and fish oil treated rabbits had the lowest malondialdehyde levels both in the ischemic and non-ischemic (normal) areas, the least increase of malondialdehyde level in the ischemic area, and the highest 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/thromboxane B2 ratio in the non-ischemic area after reperfusion among the 3 groups. These rabbits had the highest myocardial superoxide dismutase levels both in the ischemic and normal areas, and the least decrease of superoxide dismutase level in the ischemic area. These data suggest that rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet with fish oil supplementation had an attenuated lipid peroxidation, which reflected a reduced free radical generation during a short-term coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion.