Saturated fatty acids thrombosis

Certain physiologic and dietary materials affect the platelet reactions. Catechol amines enhance platelet aggregation and promote thrombus formation. Fatty acids appear to enhance platelet aggregation, with saturated fatty acids being more effective than unsaturated fatty acids. Thrombosis is produced in the dog by single rapid infusion of long-chain saturated fatty acids but chronic slow infusions are nonthrombogenlc. Apparently the dog has sufficient thrombolytic power to handle the latter situation. 

Previously, low fat intakes were traditionally reeommended in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a component of a health promoting diet, without much attention to the quality of fat. However, current dietary guidelines generally put more emphasis on the quality of fat [1-4]. Imbalances in the amounts of individual fatty acids in the diet may have an impact on the occurrence of dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, hypertension and obesity. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) have shown to be particularly important for development of the above mentioned diseases. However, in spite of an increasing body of new data, the role of individual dietary SFA in metabolic diseases is not fully clarified (Micha 2010). The reaches dietary sources of SFA include fast foods, processed foods, high-fat dairy products, red meats, and pork [1,5]. 

This might also explain, why the pre-treatment of rats with saturated fatty acids (and cholesterol) leads to the death by thrombosis of the animals upon injection of ADP (36). 

Figure 22.6 How various factors increase the risk of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and myocardial infarction. The diagram provides suggestions as to how various factors increase the risk of development of the trio of cardiovascular problems. The factors include an excessive intake of total fat, which increases activity of clotting factors, especially factor VIII an excessive intake of saturated or trans fatty acids that change the structure of the plasma membrane of cells, such as endothelial cells, which increases the risk of platelet aggregation or susceptibility of the membrane to injury excessive intake of salt - which increases blood pressure, as does smoking and low physical activity a high intake of fat or cholesterol or a low intake of antioxidants, vitamin 6 2 and folic acid, which can lead either to direct chemical damage (e.g. oxidation) to the structure of LDL or an increase in the serum level of LDL, which also increases the risk of chemical damage to LDL. A low intake of folate and vitamin B12 also decreases metabolism of homocysteine, so that the plasma concentration increases, which can damage the endothelial membrane due to formation of thiolactone.

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