Effects of Dietary α-Tocopherol and Polyunsaturated Fats on the Fatty Acid Composition of Platelet Phospholipids and on Blood Coagulation
The study group was 40 male post myocardial infarction patients 47-57 years old. All the participants were investigated two times with two weeks interval after which they were randomly divided into four groups with 10 subjects in each. Group 1 was given alpha-tocopherol 300 mg/day, group 2 was given alpha tocopherol 300 mg/day and a diet containing extra polyunsaturated fats, group 3 was given extra polyunsaturated fats but no extra alpha-tocopherol and group 4 served as a control group – thus continued their ordinary diet. After three months all participants were again investigated twice with two weeks interval.On the values from all 40 subjects before the start of the dietary regimens linear regression analyses showed that there was a significant correlation between the content of the fatty acid 18 : 0 in the serin cephalin fraction and re calcification time in platelet rich plasma (RPRP), and a negative correlation between 20: 4 and RPRP. There was also a correlation between the ratio 18: 0/20: 4 and RPRP and a negative correlation between 18: 0/20: 4 and platelet factor 3 activity in plasma.In group 2 there was a significant decrease in 18:0 and an increase in 20: 4 in the serin cephalin fraction from platelets after the diet period compared to preexperimental values. Russel’s viper venom clotting time (RVV) decreased significantly in group 1. There was a significant correlation between the decrease in RVV and the increase in plasma alphatocopherol.