PURPOSE: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are implicated in secondary osteoporosis, and the resulting fractures cause significant morbidity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a vital role in bone metabolism. However, few trials have studied the impact of omega-3 PUFA-containing oils against GC-induced osteoporosis. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine whether supplementation with omega-3 PUFA-containing dietary oils such as fish oil, flaxseed oil or soybean oil can impede the development of GC-induced osteoporosis. METHODS: The fatty acids (FAs) content of oils was determined using gas chromatography. Male rats were subdivided into 5 groups (8 rats each): normal control (balanced diet), prednisolone control (10 mg/kg prednisolone daily), soybean oil (prednisolone 10 mg/kg + soybean oil 7% w/w), flaxseed oil (prednisolone 10 mg/kg + flaxseed oil 7% w/w), and fish oil (from cod liver; prednisolone 10 mg/kg + fish oil 7% w/w). RESULTS: The study data exhibited a significant depletion in bone mineral density (BMD) and femur mass in the prednisolone control compared to the normal control, accompanied with a marked decrease in the levels of plasma calcium and 1,25-(OH)₂-vitamin D₃, and elevated levels of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Supplementation with fish oil, soybean oil or flaxseed oil helped to improve plasma calcium levels, and suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Additionally, bone resorption was suppressed as reflected by the decreased CTX levels. However, fish oil was more effective than the other two oils with a significant improvement in BMD and normal histological results compared to the normal control. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that supplementation with dietary oils containing omega-3 PUFAs such as fish oil, soybean oil or flaxseed oil can play a role in the prevention of bone loss and in the regulation of bone metabolism, especially fish oil which demonstrated a greater level of protection against GC-induced osteoporosis.
Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Resorption ; Calcium ; Chromatography, Gas ; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Femur ; Fish Oils ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Linseed Oil ; Liver ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Metabolism ; Oils ; Osteoporosis ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Prednisolone ; Rats ; Soybean Oil ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system and radical resection, which is available to very few patients, might be the only possibility for cure. Since therapeutic choices are limited at the advanced stage, prevention is more important for reducing incidence in high-risk individuals with family history of pancreatic cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high consumption of fish oil or ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the risk of pancreatic cancers. Dietary fish oil supplementation has shown to suppress pancreatic cancer development in animal models. Previous experimental studies revealed that several hallmarks of cancer involved in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, such as the resistance to apoptosis, hyper-proliferation with abnormal Wnt/β-catenin signaling, expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors, and invasion. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acid and rich in cold oceanic fish oil. DHA shows anti-cancer activity by inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis, inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and decreasing extracellular matrix degradation and expression of pro-angiogenic factors in pancreatic cancer cells. This review will summarize anti-cancer mechanism of DHA in pancreatic carcinogenesis based on the recent studies.
Apoptosis ; Carcinogenesis* ; Digestive System ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fatty Acids ; Fish Oils ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Models, Animal ; Oxidative Stress ; Pancreatic Neoplasms

PURPOSE: This study is a comparative evaluation of the incidence of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD) when administering intravenous fat emulsions containing fish oil. METHODS: The medical records of patients who were in the neonatal intensive care unit at Severance Hospital from January, 2012 to December 2015, were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who were administered either soybean oil (SO) or SMOF (containing soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil) more than 14 days were included. The patients were excluded if they were administered both agents or had underlying hepatic disease. An increase in bilirubin to 2 mg/dL was defined as PNALD. RESULTS: PNALD occurred in only 8 out of a total of 77 patients: 6 out of 31 (19.4%) in the SO group and 2 out of 46 (4.3%) in the SMOF group (P=0.055). The number of patients, whose lab values, such as direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, asparate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, C-reactive protein, serum triglyceride, and alkaline phosphate, exceeded the normal range, were similar in both groups. The gestational age, birth body weight, and APGAR score at 1 min and 5 min were significantly higher in the SO group and the PN duration was significantly long in the SMOF group. Considering only term infants, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and incidence of PNALD. The number of patients whose AST exceeded the normal range was significantly higher in the SO group (P=0.034). CONCLUSION: The incidence of PNALD was similar in both groups. On the other hand, considering the tendency, there was a high correlation between the type of lipid emulsion and an increased direct bilirubin level in the SO group.
Alanine ; Apgar Score ; Bilirubin ; Body Weight ; C-Reactive Protein ; Emulsions* ; Fat Emulsions, Intravenous ; Fish Oils ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Gestational Age ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Medical Records ; Olive Oil ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Parturition ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Soybean Oil ; Triglycerides

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer related death in the world. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that there is an association between consumption of dietary fat and colon cancer risk. Not only the amount but also the type and the ratio of fatty acids comprising dietary fats consumed have been implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of colon cancer. Omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been known to inhibit development of colon cancer by downregulating the expression of genes involved in colon carcinogenesis and also by altering the membrane lipid composition. Data from laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical studies substantiate the beneficial role of n-3 PUFAs in preventing colitis and subsequent development of colon cancer. In addition, recent studies suggest that some n-3 PUFAs can be effective as an adjuvant with chemotherapeutic agents and other natural anticancer compounds in the management of colon cancer. In this review, we discuss chemopreventive and therapeutic effects of fish oil derived long chain n-3 PUFAs, particularly EPA and DHA, with focus on synergetic effects of which they exert when combined with chemotherapeutic agents and other natural compounds.
Carcinogenesis* ; Colitis ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Dietary Fats ; Eicosapentaenoic Acid ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated* ; Fish Oils* ; Membranes ; Therapeutic Uses

PURPOSE: Omega-3 fatty acid is known for immunonutrition in that it has anti-inflammatory properties and improves the patients' immune function. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a fish oil-based lipid emulsion for adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 90 adult allogeneic HSCT patients from July 2011 to June 2015. The patients were divided into two groups according to the lipid type provided; fish oil group (FO group, n=55) and non-fish oil group (NFO group, n=35). The demographics, parenteral nutrition and lipid emulsion duration, length of hospital stay (LOS), weight change, 30 day mortality, survival period, incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), neutropenic fever, sepsis, and re-hospitalization were collected from the electronic medical records. RESULTS: The patients' characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, and underlying disease were similar in the two groups. The incidence of aGVHD and infectious complications, mortality, LOS, re-hospitalization were also similar. The FO group showed weight gains, whereas the NFO group showed weight loss (FO vs. NFO=0.34% vs. -1.08%, P=0.245). CONCLUSION: The clinical outcomes were similar in the two groups but there was a tendency for gain weight in the FO group. A large, well designed study, and a dosing study will also be needed to determine the optimal dose range for HSCT patients.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Demography ; Electronic Health Records ; Fatty Acids ; Fever ; Fish Oils ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Parenteral Nutrition* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in the elderly in developed countries but therapeutic options are limited. Many observational studies have shown that a high dietary intake of antioxidants, fish oil, and carotenoids is associated with a lower risk of prevalent and incident AMD. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 1 demonstrated that routine supplementation with a certain formulation of vitamins C, E, β-carotene, and zinc with copper reduces the risk of worsening AMD and severe vision loss by 25% over a 6-year period in patients with intermediate or advanced AMD in 1 eye or intermediate AMD in both eyes. The recent Age- Related Eye Disease Study 2 demonstrated that a certain combination of lutein and zeaxanthin is a safe and effective alternative to β-carotene, which is known to be associated with lung cancer in smokers. The aim of this review focuses on the role of supplements in the treatment and prevention of AMD and sums up the recent findings about the micronutrients most frequently used for AMD.
Aged ; Antioxidants ; Blindness ; Carotenoids ; Copper ; Developed Countries ; Eye Diseases ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; Fish Oils ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lutein ; Macular Degeneration* ; Micronutrients ; Vision Disorders ; Vitamins ; Zeaxanthins ; Zinc

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of total parenteral nutrition (PN) using different lipid emulsions in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. METHODS: Fifty-two patients were randomized to receive soybean oil + medium chain triglycerides (MCT) (group I), soybean oil + olive oil (group II), soybean oil + olive oil + fish oil (group III) as a lipid source. PN was started on postoperative day 1 and patients were maintained on PN for a minimum period of 4 days. Laboratory variables (CRP, prealbumin, transferrin) were measured before surgery and on postoperative days. RESULTS: Three treatment groups were included in the study. Patients in group I received long chain triglycerides (LCT) + LCT/MCT emulsion (%75 LCT + %25 LCT/MCT); Patients in group II received olive oil based emulsion (80% olive oil + 20% soybean oil, ClinOleic); Patients in group III received fish oil in addition to olive oil based emulsion (%85 ClinOleic + %15 Omegaven; Fresenius Kabi). The following 14 parameters were assessed: body weight, CRP, prealbumin, transferrin, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, total antioxidant status, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, oxidized low density lipoprotein-2, complete blood cell, international normalized ratio, D-dimer, activated partially thromboplastin time, prothrombin time. All other parameters showed no differences among the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of our trial demonstrate a potential beneficial effect of soybean oil/olive oil based lipid emulsions for use in PN regarding inflammatory response and oxidant capacity in the treatment of patients.
Blood Cells ; Body Weight ; Emulsions* ; Fish Oils ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; International Normalized Ratio ; Necrosis ; Olive Oil ; Parenteral Nutrition* ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Prealbumin ; Prothrombin Time ; Soybean Oil ; Soybeans ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances ; Thromboplastin ; Transferrin ; Triglycerides

The advantages of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) on insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been well established. However, the molecular mechanisms of the anti-diabetic action of MUFAs remain unclear. This study examined the anti-hyperglycemic effect and explored the molecular mechanisms involved in the actions of fish oil- rich in MUFAs that had been acquired from hybrid catfish (Pangasius larnaudii×Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) among experimental type 2 diabetic rats. Diabetic rats that were fed with fish oil (500 and 1,000 mg/kg BW) for 12 weeks significantly reduced the fasting plasma glucose levels without increasing the plasma insulin levels. The diminishing levels of plasma lipids and the muscle triglyceride accumulation as well as the plasma leptin levels were identified in T2DM rats, which had been administrated with fish oil. Notably, the plasma adiponectin levels increased among these rats. The fish oil supplementation also improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and pancreatic histological changes. Moreover, the supplementation of fish oil improved insulin signaling (p-Akt(Ser473) and p-PKC-ζ/λ(Thr410/403)), p-AMPK(Thr172) and membrane GLUT4 protein expressions, whereas the protein expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and nuclear NF-κB) as well as p-PKC-θ(Thr538) were down regulated in the skeletal muscle. These data indicate that the effects of fish oil-rich in MUFAs in these T2DM rats were partly due to the attenuation of insulin resistance and an improvement in the adipokine imbalance. The mechanisms of the anti-hyperglycemic effect are involved in the improvement of insulin signaling, AMPK activation, GLUT4 translocation and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine protein expressions.
Adipokines ; Adiponectin ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Catfishes ; Cytokines ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; Fish Oils ; Glucose ; Glucose Transporter Type 4 ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Leptin ; Membranes ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of fish oil on intestinal Paneth cells in mouse with abdominal infection.

METHODSFifty C57BL/6J mouse were randomly divided into five groups (n=10 each): control group, sham group, infection group (cecal ligation and puncture, CLP), fish oil group (0.4 g/kg fish oil, intragastric administration every day, FO) and long chain triglyceride group (0.4 g/kg soybean oil, intragastric administration every day, LCT). The mouse were sacrificed and the terminal ileum was collected for lysozyme, cryptdin 4 and secreted phosphatidase A2 (sPLA2) analysis at the fourth day after operation. The changes of mouse body weight and intestinal mucosa pathology were observed.

RESULTSThe body weight, the mRNA levels of lysozyme, cryptdin 4 and sPLA2 and the protein level of lysozyme of Paneth cells in the infection group were reduced compared with the control group (0.78±0.34 vs. 1.83±0.11, 0.99±0.44 vs. 2.02±0.33, 0.92±0.25 vs. 1.50±0.27, 0.31±0.06 vs. 0.45±0.05, all P<0.05), meanwhile the intestinal villi collapse and breakage occurred obviously. Fish oil could up-regulate the mRNA and protein expression of lysozyme (1.23±0.27 vs. 0.78±0.34 and 0.62±0.23, 0.38±0.07 vs. 0.31±0.06 and 0.32±0.06, all P<0.05) and alleviate the mucosa injury compared with the infection group and LCT group.

CONCLUSIONSThe function of intestinal Paneth cells is damaged apparently after cecal ligation and puncture. Fish oil can relieve this injury.

Animals ; Cecum ; Fish Oils ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Intestine, Small ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Paneth Cells ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of parenteral nutrition support with a lipid emulsion formulation (containing soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil [SMOF]) in intensive care patients following major gastrointestinal surgeries.

METHODSAccording to a randomized, prospective and case-controlled design, 72 intensive care patients following major gastrointestinal surgeries between January and December, 2014 were randomized equally into SMOF group and control group to receive parenteral nutrition support with SMOF and medium or long chain lipid emulsion, respectively. Before and at 4 and 9 days after commencement of parenteral nutrition support, the patients were examined for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (propagated), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and endotoxin levels. The patients' average length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU), the days of using antibiotics, and the incidence rate of postoperative complication were recorded.

RESULTSOn day 4 postoperatively, the levels of CRP and IL-6 were significantly lower in SMOF group than in the control group (t=2.669 and 2.676, respectively; P<0.05), and on day 9, the patients in SMOF group showed significantly lower levels of ALT, TBIL, CRP and IL-6 (t=2.487, 3.497, 3.762, 2.180, respectively; P<0.05) than the control group, but ALB and endotoxin levels remained comparable between the two groups. The average length of stay in ICU and the days of using antibiotics were significantly shorter in SMOF group than in the control group (t=2.94 and 2.17, respectively; P<0.05); SMOF group showed a lower incidence of postoperative infections than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (χ² =1.047, P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONFor intensive care patients following major gastrointestinal surgeries, postoperative parenteral nutrition support with SMOF can effectively reduce the release of inflammatory mediators, protect important visceral functions, reduce postoperative complications, shorten the length of ICU stay, and improve the prognosis of the patients.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Bilirubin ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; chemistry ; Critical Care ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Fat Emulsions, Intravenous ; therapeutic use ; Fish Oils ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Olive Oil ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Plant Oils ; Prospective Studies ; Soybean Oil ; Triglycerides