Dietary fatty acids on aortic root calcification in mice with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

mice. Animals fed with HFLCD-SFAs had increased weight and a greater atheroma plaque size, calcification, and RANKL/CATHK expression in the aortic root than mice on MUFA-enriched diets, with an increasing OPG expression in the aortic roots of the latter. Our study demonstrates that compared to dietary SFAs, MUFAs from olive oil protect against atherosclerosis by interfering with vascular calcification via the RANKL/RANK/OPG system in the setting of MetS. These findings open opportunities for developing novel nutritional strategies with olive oil as the most important dietary source of MUFAs (notably oleic acid) to prevent cardiovascular complications in MetS.