This study was carried out to observe the effect of dietary n-6, n-3 fatty acids and vitamin A levels on serum lipid contents and hepatic tissues in rats.
Sixty eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 6 different experimental diets for 6 weeks. The diets wer composed of 10% of either corn oil or fish oil with three levels of vitamin A ; deficient (1240IU/kg diet), adequate (4000IU/kg diet),
excess(400.000IU/kg diet). It was observed that triglyceride content and lipoprotein ratio in serum were not affected by dietary fat types and vitamin a levels. However, total serum cholesterol contents were significantly lower in fish oil groups
than
in corn oil groups, which were not affected by vitamin a levels. Under light microscopie, vitamin A excess groups showed pathological abnormalites, such as fatty change and inflammation of the hepatic tissues. These abnormalities were less severe
in
fish oil groups. These results suggested that fish oil could be a dietary factor lowering the serum lipid contents, and it seems to relieve the abnormal changes in liver induced by excess vitamin A.
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