Cardioprotective Effects of Dietary Flaxseed Post-Infarction Are Associated with Changes in MicroRNA Expression

Figure 1. Effect of flaxseed supplementation in the diets. (A) ALA (C18:3n3) levels. (B) Sum of n-3 fatty acids (∑n-3) levels. (C) Ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (∑n-6/n-3) levels. Data are presented as mean ± SD, (n = 3). **** Significantly different from the control diet, p < 0.0001. ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; FLAX, chow diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed; OIL, chow diet supplemented with 4.4% ALA enriched flax oil; SDG, chow diet supplemented with 0.44% secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

Figure 2. Effect of the dietary interventions on collagen I levels. (A), TGX gel visualization by Bio-Rad Gel DocTM XR+ imager to confirm equal protein loading. (B), Densitometric quantification of the immunoblots, data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 5–6. ### Significantly different from sham, p < 0.001; ** significantly different from MI, p < 0.05; *** significantly different from MI, p < 0.001. ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; FLAX, chow diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed; MI, myocardial infarction; OIL, chow diet supplemented with 4.4% ALA enriched flax oil; SDG, chow diet supplemented with 0.44% secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

Figure 3. Effect of dietary interventions on miR-133 expression levels. (A) miR-133a; (B) miR-133b. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 5–6. * Significantly different from sham, p < 0.05. ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; FLAX, chow diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed; MI, myocardial infarction; OIL, chow diet supplemented with 4.4% ALA enriched flax oil; SDG, chow diet supplemented with 0.44% secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

Figure 4. Effect of dietary interventions on: (A) miR-1; (B) miR-135a; (C) miR-29b, expression levels. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 5–6. * Significantly different from sham, p < 0.05. ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; FLAX, chow diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed; MI, myocardial infarction; OIL, chow diet supplemented with 4.4% ALA enriched flax oil; SDG, chow diet supplemented with 0.44% secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

Figure 5. Effect of the dietary interventions on NCX levels. (A) TGX gel visualization by Bio-Rad Gel DocTM XR+ imager to confirm equal protein loading. (B) Densitometric quantification of the immunoblots, data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 5. ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; FLAX, chow diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed; MI, myocardial infarction; OIL, chow diet supplemented with 4.4% ALA enriched flax oil; SDG, chow diet supplemented with 0.44% secoisolariciresinol diglucoside.

Figure 6. ALA-rich flaxseed oil upregulates the expression of miR-133a, miR-135a, and miR-29b and consequently exerts cardioprotective effect.