academic Sagami Women's University Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism, has increased rapidly in recent years. However, compared to arterial thromboembolism, there are far fewer reports on the effects of diet and its components on the development and prevention of VTE. It has become clear that platelet activation and inflammatory responses play a crucial role in the initial process of VTE.
Aims: In this study, we investigated the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are known to have anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory functions, in the mouse electrolytic inferior vena cava model of DVT.
Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups: n-3 PUFA-free diet group (control), α-linolenic acid-containing diet (ALA) group, eicosapentaenoic acid-containing diet (EPA) group, and docosahexaenoic acid-containing diet (DHA) group. After two weeks of feeding on each diet, DVT was induced in mice using electrolysis of a stainless-steel electrode inserted into the inferior vena cava. Two days after induction of DVT, thrombus weight in the inferior vena cava and plasma fatty acid composition were analyzed.
Results: The ALA, EPA, and DHA groups showed a decrease in thrombus weight compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in thrombus weight among the three n-3 PUFA groups. The composition of fatty acids incorporated into plasma lipids differed among the n-3 PUFA groups. The increase in n-3 PUFA and the compensatory decrease in n-6 PUFA were more pronounced in the EPA and DHA groups than in the ALA group. Therefore, it was suggested that the preventive effect of n-3 PUFA intake on DVT would become apparent when the n-3 PUFA levels in the blood or vascular wall exceed a certain threshold or when the n-6 PUFA levels decrease to a certain threshold.
Conclusion(s): Our results indicate that dietary n-3 PUFAs are effective in the prevention of DVT in mice.
