Positive Health Online

Abstract

DE LA CRUZ and colleagues, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Malaga, Spain write than evening primrose oil (EPO) is a rich source of omega-6 essential fatty acids. The authors studied in rabbits the effects of dietary supplementation with EPO upon platelet aggregation as the main factor in arterial clot formation. @m: 40 rabbits were divided into 4 groups: 1) normal diet 2) atherogenic diet (ATD) 3) normal diet enriched with 15% EPO 4) ATD + EPO. Each group was fed on its diet for 6 weeks, following which blood serum lipid profiles, platelet aggregation in whole blood, platelet thromboxane B2 production and platelet lipid peroxides were determined. @r: The atherogenic diet (ATD) increased platelet aggregation. Evening primrose oil (EPO) reduced hyperaggregation to the values in rabbits fed with the normal diet. Thromboxane synthesis, which was increased from 0.18 to 2.28 nmol/10(9): platelets, was reduced by EPO to 1.38 nmol/10(9) platelets. Lipid peroxides increased from 0.27 to 0.81 nmol/10(8) platelets and EPO prevented this increase. @c: EPO reduced platelet hyperaggregability in rabbits fed an atherogenic diet.

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References

De La Cruz JP et al. Effect of evening primrose oil on platelet aggregation in rabbits fed an atherogenic diet. Thromb Res 87(1): 141-9. Jul 1 1997.