TABLE 1.

Summary of key studies on n–3 PUFAs and mitochondrial membrane structure-function¹

Supplementation	Organism/tissue	Membrane alterations	Functional endpoints	Reference
Diet containing DHA at 2.5% total caloric intake for 10 wk	Male Wistar rats/cardiac mitochondria	↑ Amount of DHA and displaced AA and LA	↓ In (18:2)4CL, no effect on respiration	(125)
100 μM n–3 PUFA treatment for 72 h	H9c2 cardiac myoblasts	↑ Highly unsaturated CL containing n–3 PUFAs	↑ High-molecular-weight CL and ↓ low-molecular-weight CL	(137)
Fusion of mitochondria with 18:0/22:6 PC vesicles	4-wk-old male mice/liver mitochondria	↓ In DHA and viscosity	↓ RCI and membrane potential and ↑ proton movement	(148)
10% Menhaden oil for 3 wk	2-mo or 21-mo CBA/ca female mice/liver mitochondria	↑ In EPA and DHA and ↓ in AA; DHA was primarily associated with PE and PC	↑ Age-related mitochondrial dysfunction	(148)
DHA ethyl esters (2% of energy)	C57BL/6 obese mice	↓ Formation of membrane domains	↓ In enzyme activity	(150)
n–3 Complete: 2 g EPA and 1 g DHA/d for 12 wk	Recreationally active men aged 22.7 ± 0.8 y/subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria	↑ In EPA/DHA in PC and PE but not in CL	↑ Sensitivity to ADP and ROS but not in oxidant products	(151)
Diet containing DHA or EPA at 2.5% total caloric intake for 8 wk	Male Wistar rats/cardiac mitochondria	↑ EPA/DHA and ↓ AA	↓ Ca2+-induced opening of the MPTP and swelling	(152)
11.5 g Menhaden fish oil/100 g for 2 wk	Male Sprague-Dawley rats/colonic crypt mitochondria	↑ In unsaturation index of CL, PE, and PC	↑ ROS- initiated apoptotic cascade	(153)
20% wt:vol Menhaden fish oil for 4 wk	Male Sprague-Dawley rats/renal cortical mitochondria	↓ In OA, LA, and AA and ↑ in EPA and DHA	↑ In PLA2 activity and mitochondrial damage via ROS; ↓ in state 3 respiration and complex I	(154)
15% (wt:wt) fish-oil or EPA and DHA pure ethyl ester diet for 2 wk	Male Sprague-Dawley rats/colonic crypt mitochondria	↑ In EPA and DHA at the expense of AA and LA	↓ In membrane potential and ↑ in caspase 3 activity	(155)
20% Fish-oil diet–12% tuna oil and 8% sardine oil for 12 wk	Wistar male rats/liver mitochondria	↓ In viscosity	↑ Membrane potential, respiration, and complex V activity; ↓ complex III and IV activity	(156)

¹AA, arachidonic acid (20:4); CL, cardiolipin; LA, linoleic acid (18:2); MPTP, mitochondrial permeability transition pore; OA, oleic acid (18:1); PC, phosphatidylcholine; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; PLA₂, phospholipase A₂; RCI, Respiratory Control Index; ROS, reactive oxygen species; (18:2)₄CL, tetralinoleoyl cardiolipin; ↑, increase/increased; ↓, decrease/decreased.