High‐Fat Diets Containing Different Amounts of n3 and n6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Modulate Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Mice

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Dysregulation of adipokines is a hallmark of obesity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil may exert anti‐inflammatory effects on adipose tissue mitigating the dysregulation of adipokines thereby preventing obesity. This study investigated the effects of high‐fat diets containing different amounts of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on adiposity and adipokine production in mice. Mice were fed a low‐fat or a high‐fat diet with 16 or 45 % of energy from corn oil (low n3 PUFA) in comparison with a high‐fat diet containing soybean or high‐oleic sunflower oil (adequate n3 PUFA) or flaxseed or fish oil (high n3 PUFA) for 11 weeks. High‐fat diets, regardless of types of oils, significantly increased body fat mass and body weights compared to the low‐fat diet. Adipose fatty acid composition and contents reflected dietary fatty acid profiles. The high‐fat fish oil diet significantly increased adiponectin and reduced leptin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue; it did not elevate plasma insulin concentration compared to the high‐fat corn oil diet. All high‐fat diets elevated concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) but lowered resistin concentrations in both plasma and adipose tissue. In conclusion, fish oil may be beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity by upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin production; n3 and n6 PUFA do not play a role at the dietary levels tested in reducing adiposity and production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (leptin, PAI‐1, MCP‐1 and resistin) and anti‐inflammatory cytokine adiponectin.</jats:p>