Ingestion of native and thermally oxidized polyunsaturated fats acutely increases circulating numbers of endothelial microparticles

Circulating numbers of endothelial microparticles (EMP) are an index of endothelial injury and dysfunction; and microparticles positive to CD31 antibody increase acutely after cooked, fatty fast-food meals that are rich in saturated fatty acids (SAFA) and lipid oxidation products. The aim of this study was to determine the acute effect of meals rich in SAFA and native and thermally oxidized polyunsaturated vegetable oil on circulating numbers of EMP positive to CD144 antibody, a more specific marker of EMP. Twenty-two apparently healthy subjects received isocaloric meals rich in cream (CR), unheated sunflower oil, or heated sunflower oil in a randomized crossover study design. Circulating numbers of CD144-EMP and plasma lipids and Svedberg unit of flotation (Sf) greater than 400 triglyceride content were measured before and 1 and 3 hours after the meals. Triglycerides in the plasma Sf greater than 400 fraction increased significantly (P < .001) after the meals, with a significantly (P < .05) larger increase after the CR meal. Plasma CD144-EMP increased significantly (20%, P < .05) after the unheated sunflower oil and heated sunflower oil meals and did not increase significantly (P = .55) after the CR meal. This response was significantly different among the meals (P = .002) when first-visit fasting plasma glucose was a covariate. In conclusion, these data suggest that ingestion of meals rich in n-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oil irrespective of whether it has been mildly thermally oxidized may acutely alter the state of the vascular endothelium, resulting in increased shedding of CD144-EMP. The physiologic implications of these findings remain to be determined.