Platelet Aggregation in Finnish Men and Its Relation to Fatty Acids in Platelets, Plasma and Adipose Tissue

Summary

Platelet aggregation and its relation to fatty acid composition of platelets, plasma and adipose tissue was determined in 196 randomly selected, free-living, 40-49-year-old men in two regions of Finland (east and southwest) with a nearly twofold difference in the IHD rate.

There were no significant east-southwest differences in platelet aggregation induced with ADP, thrombin or epinephrine. ADP-induced platelet secondary aggregation showed significant negative associations with all C20-C22 ω3-fatty acids in platelets (r = -0.26 - -0.40) and with the platelet 20: 5ω3/20: 4ω 6 and ω3/ ω6 ratios, but significant positive correlations with the contents of 18:2 in adipose tissue (r = 0.20) and plasma triglycerides (TG) (r = 0.29). Epinephrine-induced aggregation correlated negatively with 20: 5ω 3 in plasma cholesteryl esters (CE) (r = -0.23) and TG (r = -0.29), and positively with the total percentage of saturated fatty acids in platelets (r = 0.33), but had no significant correlations with any of the ω6-fatty acids. Thrombin-induced aggregation correlated negatively with the ω3/6ω ratio in adipose tissue (r = -0.25) and the 20: 3ω6/20: 4ω 6 ratio in plasma CE (r = -0.27) and free fatty acids (FFA) (r = -0.23), and positively with adipose tissue 18:2 (r = 0.23) and 20:4ω6 (r = 0.22) in plasma phospholipids (PL).

The percentages of prostanoid precursors in platelet lipids, i. e. 20: 3ω 6, 20: 4ω 6 and 20 :5ω 3, correlated best with the same fatty acids in plasma CE (r = 0.32 - 0.77) and PL (r = 0.28 - 0.74). Platelet 20: 5ω 3 had highly significant negative correlations with the percentage of 18:2 in adipose tissue and all plasma lipid fractions (r = -0.35 - -0.44).

These results suggest that, among a free-living population, relatively small changes in the fatty acid composition of plasma and platelets may be reflected in significant differences in platelet aggregation, and that an increase in linoleate-rich vegetable fat in the diet may not affect platelet function favourably unless it is accompanied by an adequate supply of ω3 fatty acids.

Keywords

Platelet aggregation - Fatty acids - Lipids - Linoleic acid - Arachidonic acid - Eicosapentaenoic acid

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