BACKGROUND: n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and can ameliorate many of obesity-associated disorders. We hypothesised that the latter effect will be more pronounced when DHA/EPA is supplemented as phospholipids rather than as triglycerides. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a 'prevention study', C57BL/6J mice were fed for 9 weeks on either a corn oil-based high-fat obesogenic diet (cHF; lipids ∼35% wt/wt), or cHF-based diets in which corn oil was partially replaced by DHA/EPA, admixed either as phospholipids or triglycerides from marine fish. The reversal of obesity was studied in mice subjected to the preceding cHF-feeding for 4 months. DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids prevented glucose intolerance and tended to reduce obesity better than triglycerides. Lipemia and hepatosteatosis were suppressed more in response to dietary phospholipids, in correlation with better bioavailability of DHA and EPA, and a higher DHA accumulation in the liver, white adipose tissue (WAT), and muscle phospholipids. In dietary obese mice, both DHA/EPA concentrates prevented a further weight gain, reduced plasma lipid levels to a similar extent, and tended to improve glucose tolerance. Importantly, only the phospholipid form reduced plasma insulin and adipocyte hypertrophy, while being more effective in reducing hepatic steatosis and low-grade inflammation of WAT. These beneficial effects were correlated with changes of endocannabinoid metabolome in WAT, where phospholipids reduced 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and were more effective in increasing anti-inflammatory lipids such as N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Compared with triglycerides, dietary DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids are superior in preserving a healthy metabolic profile under obesogenic conditions, possibly reflecting better bioavalability and improved modulation of the endocannabinoid system activity in WAT.

• MeSH
• analýza rozptylu MeSH
• bílá tuková tkáň metabolismus   MeSH
• biologická dostupnost MeSH
• dieta s vysokým obsahem tuků MeSH
• endokanabinoidy MeSH
• fosfolipidy metabolismus   MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• játra účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• kosterní svaly metabolismus   MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• kyselina eikosapentaenová metabolismus   MeSH
• kyseliny dokosahexaenové metabolismus   MeSH
• kyseliny mastné omega-3 aplikace a dávkování   metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• metabolomika MeSH
• mikroskopie MeSH
• modulátory kanabinoidních receptorů metabolismus   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• obezita dietoterapie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• tělesná hmotnost MeSH
• triglyceridy metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH