Dietary effects on circadian fluctuation in human blood coagulation factor VII and fibrinolysis

Six healthy male volunteers were served 4 strictly controlled isoenergetic diets differing in fat (20% or 50% of energy) and fiber contents (2 or 4 g/MJ) for periods of 2 days. The diets were served in random order with at least 5 days separating each diet period. Blood samples for determination of factor VII clotting activity using human (FVIIc) and bovine thromboplastin (FVIIbt), and for assessment of factor VII antigen (FVIIag), tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen, PAI activity, t-PA and euglobulin fibrinolytic activity, and triglyceride and insulin levels were collected regularly on the second day of each diet period. The high-fat diets resulted in significantly increased postprandial FVIIbt levels (peak values: 131% vs. 95%, P < 0.01), and higher postprandial FVIIbt/FVIIag ratios (peak values: 1.42 vs. 1.16, P < 0.01) compared with the low-fat diets. Fibrinolytic variables were not affected by the dietary changes and consistently showed characteristic U-shaped (t-PA and PAI-1 antigen, PAI activity), or inverted U-shaped (t-PA and euglobulin fibrinolytic activity) circadian patterns with troughs and peaks, respectively, at 17:30-21:30 h. The dietary fiber content had no significant influence on any of the measured variables. Our findings indicate that high-fat diets may increase blood thrombogenicity by virtue of augmented postprandial activation of factor VII.