Diet containing low n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio, provided by canola oil, alters body composition and bone quality in young rats.

Purpose: Adipocytes and osteoblasts were derived from a common progenitor, and canola oil intake may have an adipogenic and osteogenic effect. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the effect on adipocyte, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, and bone of canola oil as main lipid source on the diet during development.

Methods: After weaning, rats were divided into two groups (n = 10 per group): control (S) and experimental (C) diets containing 7 mL/100 g soybean or canola oil, respectively. At 60 days, body composition, liver and intra-abdominal fat mass, adipocyte morphology, serum analysis, femur and lumbar vertebras density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography were determined. Differences were considered significant with P < 0.05.

Results: C group showed the following: lower liver (-12%) and intra-abdominal fat mass (-19%) area of adipocyte (-60%), cholesterol (-33%), insulin (-22%), lower total body (-9%) and spine (-33%) bone mineral content and bone area (-7 and -24%, respectively), femur mass (-9%), width of the diaphysis (-6%), femur (-10%) and lumbar vertebrae bone mineral density (-9%), and radiodensity of femoral head (-8%).

Conclusions: The lower intra-abdominal adiposity could have more beneficial effects in a short term, since it can be associated with a better insulin sensitivity and lipid profile, than the small reduction in femur and lumbar vertebra density. However, it has to be considered the incremental effect of this reduction along the aging process.