Molecular mechanisms affected by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Adipose tissue and its hormones have an irreplaceable role in the physiology of mammals. The imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure leads to the expansion of adipose tissue and changes in its secretion profile. With obesity are associated diseases including cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance, one of the major public health issues. Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) from marine origin, mainly eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids exert numerous beneficial effects, such as improvements of lipid metabolism and prevention of obesity and diabetes. Studies with obesity-prone model mice (C57BL/6) provide us important knowledge regarding their effect on mammalian tissues and to test potential therapeutic interventions. The thesis is based on five published studies (A-E). Three studies are focused on white adipose tissue. In these works we proved that adipose tissue is a flexible organ and LC n-3 PUFAs are potent regulators of adipose tissue biology. Our results document that LC n-3 PUFAs affect adipose tissue mass by a mechanism, which depends on counteraction of both, differentiation and proliferation of adipose cell (publication A). The anti-obesity effect of EPA and DHA could be magnified by mild calorie..