Ameliorative effects of docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipid changes in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

: It has been shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has numerous physiological actions. However, the precise mechanism of these actions is still obscure, and DHA is not yet regarded as a drug. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effects of long-term administration of DHA on the serum lipid concentrations in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SPSHR). SPSHR was selected because serum lipid derangement is one of the primary risk factors in the development and maintenance of hypertension. DHA-treated SPSHR showed significantly lower blood pressure when compared with that of non-treated SPSHR; total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and lipid peroxide levels were significantly decreased in DHA-treated SPSHR. On the other hand, the high density lipoprotein concentrations tended to increase in DHA-treated SPSHR when compared with those in non-treated SPSHR. These findings suggest that long-term administration of DHA has a protective effect against serum lipid derangement in SPSHR. This DHA-induced amelioration of serum lipid changes in SPSHR might be associated with mechanisms involving the antihypertensive action induced by DHA.