Omega-3 fatty acids alleviate chemically induced acute hepatitis by suppression of cytokines.

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) are key factors in liver inflammation. Supplementation with essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) has been demonstrated to lower TNF-alpha and IL-1 production in mononuclear cells. An inflammation-dampening effect has been observed with increased omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in several inflammatory diseases. In this study, we used the transgenic fat-1 mouse, expressing a Caenorhabditis elegans desaturase endogenously forming n-3 PUFA from n-6 PUFA, to analyze the effect of an increased n-3 PUFA tissue status in the macrophage-dependent acute D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccaride (D-GalN/LPS) hepatitis model. We show less severe inflammatory liver injury in fat-1 mice with a balanced n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio as evidenced by reduced serum alanine aminotransferase levels and less severe histological liver damage. This decreased inflammatory response was associated with decreased plasma TNF-alpha levels and with reduced hepatic gene expression of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IFN-gamma and IL-6 in fat-1 mice, leading to a decreased rate of apoptosis in livers from fat-1 animals, as measured by DAPI-staining.

CONCLUSION:

The results of this study offer evidence for an inflammation dampening effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the context of liver inflammation.

• Authors: Christoph Schmöcker, Karsten H Weylandt, Lena Kahlke, Jingdong Wang, Hartmut Lobeck, Gisa Tiegs, Thomas Berg, Jing X Kang
• Journal: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (Hepatology) Vol. 45 Issue 4 Pg. 864-9 (Apr 2007) ISSN: 0270-9139 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17393517 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3
• Fatty Acids, Omega-6
• Alanine Transaminase

Topics

• Alanine Transaminase (blood)
• Animals
• Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Cytokines (metabolism)
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3 (metabolism, therapeutic use)
• Fatty Acids, Omega-6 (metabolism)
• Liver (pathology)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Transgenic