promega and Hypercholesterolemia

The effect of dietary supplementation with 20 capsules/day Maxepa or olive oil on serum lipids has been studied in 21 hypercholesterolaemic patients using a double-blind crossover design. Platelet membrane eicosapentaenoic acid percentage rose by more than 10-fold after 2 months dietary supplementation with Maxepa. Total serum cholesterol was unchanged and there was a rise in LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol concentration in men, but no change in LDL-cholesterol, and a fall in HDL-cholesterol in women. In men and women there was a marked fall in total serum triglyceride, VLDL-triglyceride and VLDL-cholesterol levels. Thus, Maxepa is not an effective treatment for isolated hypercholesterolaemia.

Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Double-Blind Method; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Female; Fish Oils; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Lipids; Male; Middle Aged; Time Factors

The effects of a fish oil supplement on lipid and lipoprotein levels, platelet function, and vital signs were investigated in 31 hypercholesterolemic patients. Thirteen patients took 5 g of encapsulated fish oil per day and 18 patients took 5 g of encapsulated safflower oil "placebo" per day for 28 days. Diet and exercise patterns were kept as constant as possible during the study. The fish oil group had significant increases in several lipid/lipoprotein values at the end of the treatment, including an increase of total cholesterol of 14% (P = 0.0001), LDL of 16% (P = 0.003), HDL of 13% (P = 0.015) and HDL2 of 36% (P = 0.009). The triglyceride level fell 24%, a nonsignificant change (P = 0.217). The ratios of total cholesterol/HDL and LDL/HDL were increased at the end of fish oil treatment, and returned to baseline 30 days after fish oil was stopped. The placebo group had no significant changes in any of the lipid/lipoprotein values. Neither the fish oil nor the placebo group had significant changes in vital signs or platelet function tests (bleeding time, thromboxane B2, platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin) during the study. These results suggest that fish oil supplements may have an adverse effect on lipid/lipoprotein values in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Blood Pressure; Body Weight; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Double-Blind Method; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Female; Fish Oils; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Male; Middle Aged; Platelet Function Tests; Random Allocation

The effect of dietary MaxEPA (fish oil) supplementation on cholesterol induced hypercholesterolemia in rabbits was investigated. Rabbits were fed 0.1% cholesterol enriched diet for one month and randomly divided into two groups (I and II). Group I was continued on a 0.1% cholesterol rich diet whereas group II in addition to cholesterol supplementation received MaxEPA (2.5 g/kg body weight) per day for a period of two months. B-VLDL-C, LDL-C and total serum peroxide levels (TBARS) were significantly higher in group II animals as compared to group I. No statistical difference was found in the number of hepatic B-VLDL binding sites between group I and II. Microscopic examination of the aorta showed an increase in the number of intimal foam cells in MaxEPA treated group, a result that may be linked to increase in total cholesterol, plasma TBARS and with simultaneous reduced hepatic uptake of B-VLDL.

Topics: Animals; Cholesterol, Dietary; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Fish Oils; Hypercholesterolemia; Lipoproteins; Male; Protein Binding; Rabbits; Receptors, Lipoprotein