| dc.description.abstract | Coronary heart disease (CHD ) is a multi-factorial disease in which
many risk factors can enhance the genetic potential to develop the
disease (Vorster et al.,198&9). These risk factors are especially
associated with a Western lifestyle. In the past, the approach to
diet as a risk factor largely focused on a lowering of dietary fats
and cholesterol. The extent to which increased intakes of dietary
cholesterol contribute to an increase in serumcholesterol levels, is
still controversial.
Recent epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies have
indicated that an enhanced coagulant activity (raised levels of
plasma fibrinogen and factor VII) also increases the risk of
atherosclerosis and CHD (Meade et al., 1986).
An aspect which has not received attention in the literature is the
possible effect of an enhanced egg intake on the eicosanoid
metabolism. The primary precursor of the eicosanoids is arachidonic
acid, a poli-unsaturated fatty acid which is absorbed in the diet or
which is synthesized in the body from diet linoleic acid (Hecker &
Ullrich,1989) The eicosanoids may be involved in the development of
CHD.
The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of an
increased egg ( and therefore arachidonic acid) intake on aspects of
eicosanoid metabolism in 30 healthy young male students. After a
run-in period of 2 months during which all the subjects ate 3 eggs
per week, the subjects were divided into three groups. Group 1
(reference group) continued eating three eggs per week, group 2 ate 7
eggs per week and group 3, 14 eggs per week for one month.
Measurements were made at baseline and after one month. The ability
of blood platelets to synthesize eicosanoids (TXB:a, HHT and
12-HETE) from arachidonic acid on a low and high egg intake was
examined. Additionally, the influence of an enhanced egg intake on
serumlipids and lipoproteins, haemostatic variables, as well as
various other variables were also investigated.
The results of this study indicated that there were no significant
changes in arachidonic acid in the plasmatriglycerides. The
experimental groups all showed an increase in the eicosanoid index
( 3 H-arachidonic acid converted to 3 H-thromboxane\ 3 H-HHT\
3 H-12-HETE per platelet count), possibly a joint result of normal
variations and experimental circumstances. The enhanced egg intake
did not have an effect on the lipid profile of the experimental
subjects, possibly because of the activity of the enzyme
lecithin-cholesterol-acetyl-transferase. No significant changes in
the coagulant activity were noted . It seems therefore that the intake
of 3-14 eggs per week did not influence the risk factors of CHD in
these healthy, young male subjects. | en_US |
