new animal model of endogenous m3PUFA production by breast tissue--RB?

[Lani]

1: Lipids. 2006 Jan;41(1):35-9. Links

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids endogenously synthesized in fat-1 mice are enriched in the mammary gland.

Ma DW, Ngo V, Huot PS, Kang JX.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. davidwl.ma@utoronto.ca

In this study, we determined the phospholipid FA composition in the mammary gland of the transgenic Fat-1 mouse. This is the first animal model developed that can endogenously synthesize n-3 PUFA. The synthesis of n-3 PUFA is achieved through the expression of the fat-1 transgene encoding for an n-3 desaturase from Caenorhabditis elegans, which utilizes n-6 PUFA as substrate. Wild-type and Fat-1 female mice were terminated at 7 wk of age and the fifth mammary gland was removed. Lipids were extracted and phospholipids were separated by TLC and converted to FAME for analysis by GC. There was no significant change in total saturated, monounsaturated, and PUFA composition. However, there was a significant increase in total n-3 PUFA and a corresponding decrease in n-6 PUFA. The major n-3 PUFA that were enriched included 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3. The n-6 PUFA that were reduced included 20:4n-6, 22:4n-6, and 22:5n-6. Overall, these findings demonstrate that female Fat-i mice have elevated levels of n-3 PUFA in the mammary gland. Moreover, the n-3 desaturase products are the same n-3 PUFA found in fish oil, which have been shown to have chemoprotective properties against breast cancer. Therefore, this newly developed mouse model may be highly useful for investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms by which n-3 PUFA prevents and inhibits breast cancer growth.

PMID: 16555469 [PubMed - in process]

WOW ***!!**!!!@@@@!!!!!!.......INCREDIBLE.

Mind numbing implications.

Facinating that with unrestricted n3 the mice have upped EPA DHA and downed what must be the emergency secondary alternative eqivalent n6, in a guess a situation where demands created by FAS stimulation are met in the mammary gland - it is recognised that babies need EPA and DHA.

I am becoming more and more convinced n3 n6 balance is fundamantal to many aspects of human health.

The implications are HUGE - we could be looking at the first gene type in general terms (if found not to have other negative impacts life shortening due to oxidation cycles etc.) in the very very long terms something like this might may be considered for insertion into humans given our numbers our need for DHA EPA shortages of available food sources environmental impact and essential nature for survival.

Early versions of us are reported as having bigger brains ,and theorised it was because we had high access to EPA DHA - is this looking at the begining of new evolutionary/design pathways?

***********BRILLIANT POST**********

Many thanks


RB