It is not unusual for patients with severe motor and
intellectual disabilities to present with eating and
swallowing disorders, and such patients often require long term
enteral nutrition. These patients tend to receive all their nutrients in the form of a single nutrient
solution that is administered over a long period, and there are concerns about the impact of the composition of these nutrient formulas on patient health. Therefore, it is very important that adequate care be taken when selecting a nutrient formula for patients of this type. In the present study we administered two types of enteral nutrient solutions and examined the effect of the differences in nutrient composition on the degree of oxidative stress experienced by human patients. Subjects were 5 patients (mean age: 27.2 years; male/female ratio: 4:1) with severe motor and
intellectual disabilities who were incapable of oral feeding, and who were receiving long term
enteral nutrition. The subjects were administered a standard elemental diet for 2 months, and this was followed by administration of an
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched enteral nutrient
solution for three months. Results showed that the
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched diet improved serum concentrations of
trace elements,
protein synthesis, and the balance between n-6
polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are
essential fatty acids. At the same time oxidative stress was reduced, and serum
IgE levels declined significantly. Patients with severe
psychophysiological disorders often suffer from repeated bouts of
pneumonia due to immune system suppression, and there are reports that such patients are subject to increased allergic
diathesis. The present results indicated that the in vivo membrane damage induced by oxidative stress may be closely related to the onset of these disorders. The results also suggested that in addition to attaining an adequate understanding of the effect of each of the various nutrients in enteral nutrient formulas, it will also be important to consider not only
trace elements but also
fatty acid composition in the nutritional management of patients with such disorders.