Grant: Operating Grant

Almost two-thirds of Canadians are overweight according to recent statistics published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Cardiovascular disease is closely linked to obesity. Long ago, it was realized that diets rich in fish oil containing special "omega3" fatty acids (i.e. "good" fat) reduce cardiovascular disease. However, even after many years of study we still don't know all the reasons and mechanisms for these beneficial actions. The objective of this project is to see if some of the beneficial actions of these omega3 fatty acids occurs through a special protein called FFAR4. This protein is very important for limiting inflammation and obesity but has not been studied much in the cardiovascular system. We plan to figure out how these omega3 fatty acids, as well as a chemical compound called cpdA, specifically interact with FFAR4 in the cardiovascular system to promote healthy blood vessels free of disease. The most unique and innovative aspects of the project are the special mice we are using, as well as the cross-talk interactions between different types of cells (e.g. blood vessel cells, inflammatory cells known as macrophages and fat cells that surround the vessels), that should help us to figure out the role of these essential fatty acids and how they function through FFAR4 to improve cardiovascular health and reduce incidence of cardiovascular disease.