on October 15, 2009
Published online before print October 15, 2009, doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.109.198036
Submitted on January 27, 2009
Accepted on October 7, 2009
Combined Therapy of Dietary Fish Oil and Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 Inhibition Prevents the Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis
J. Mark Brown ;
From the Department of Pathology-Section on Lipid Sciences (J.M.B., S.C., J.K.S., C.D., T.M.N., X.Z., C.L., R.S., M.A.D., K.K., M.D.W., J.S.P., L.L.R.), the Department of Biochemistry (H.M.A.), and the Department of Molecular Medicine (A.L.B.), Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC; the Department of Cell Biology (M.-N.D.), Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; and the Laboratory of Respiratory Biology (J.M., M.B.F.), NIEHS, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lrudel{at}wfubmc.edu.
Background—Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a critical regulator of energy metabolism and inflammation. We have previously reported that inhibition of SCD1 in hyperlipidemic mice fed a saturated fatty acid (SFA)-enriched diet prevented development of the metabolic syndrome, yet surprisingly promoted severe atherosclerosis. In this study we tested whether dietary fish oil supplementation could prevent the accelerated atherosclerosis caused by SCD1 inhibition.
Methods and Results—LDLr-/-, Apob100/100 mice were fed diets enriched in saturated fat or fish oil in conjunction with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) treatment to inhibit SCD1. As previously reported, in SFA-fed mice, SCD1 inhibition dramatically protected against development of the metabolic syndrome, yet promoted atherosclerosis. In contrast, in mice fed fish oil, SCD1 inhibition did not result in augmented macrophage inflammatory response or severe atherosclerosis. In fact, the combined therapy of dietary fish oil and SCD1 ASO treatment effectively prevented both the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis.
Conclusions—SCD1 ASO treatment in conjunction with dietary fish oil supplementation is an effective combination therapy to comprehensively combat the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis in mice.
Key words: saturated fat • fish oil • atherosclerosis • inflammation • metabolic syndrome