Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can derive from diet or from α-linolenic acid (ALA) by elongation and desaturation. We investigated the association of common genetic variation with plasma phospholipid levels of the four major n-3 PUFAs by performing genome-wide association studies in five population-based cohorts comprising 8,866 subjects of European ancestry. Minor alleles of SNPs in FADS1 and FADS2 (desaturases) were associated with higher levels of ALA (p = 3×10−64) and lower levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, p = 5×10−58) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, p = 4×10−154). Minor alleles of SNPs in ELOVL2 (elongase) were associated with higher EPA (p = 2×10−12) and DPA (p = 1×10−43) and lower docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, p = 1×10−15). In addition to genes in the n-3 pathway, we identified a novel association of DPA with several SNPs in GCKR (glucokinase regulator, p = 1×10−8). We observed a weaker association between ALA and EPA among carriers of the minor allele of a representative SNP in FADS2 (rs1535), suggesting a lower rate of ALA-to-EPA conversion in these subjects. In samples of African, Chinese, and Hispanic ancestry, associations of n-3 PUFAs were similar with a representative SNP in FADS1 but less consistent with a representative SNP in ELOVL2. Our findings show that common variation in n-3 metabolic pathway genes and in GCKR influences plasma phospholipid levels of n-3 PUFAs in populations of European ancestry and, for FADS1, in other ancestries.

In recent years, cardiac patches have been developed for the treatment of myocardial infarction. However, the fixation approaches onto the tissue through suture or phototriggered reaction inevitably cause new tissue damage. Herein, a paintable hydrogel is constructed based on Fe -triggered simultaneous polymerization of covalently linked pyrrole and dopamine in the hyperbranched chains where the in situ formed conductive polypyrrole also uniquely serves to crosslink network. This conductive and adhesive hydrogel can be conveniently painted as a patch onto the heart surface without adverse liquid leakage. The functional patch whose conductivity is equivalent to that of normal myocardium is strongly bonded to the beating heart within 4 weeks, accordingly efficiently boosting the transmission of electrophysiological signals. Eventually, the reconstruction of cardiac function and revascularization of the infarct myocardium are remarkably improved. The translatable suture-free strategy reported in this work is promising to address the human clinical challenges in cardiac tissue engineering.

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