Fish oil supplementation benefits the murine host during the acute phase of a parasitic infection from Trypanosoma cruzi.
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) are known to modulate a variety of immune cell functions. On occasion, this has led to diminished host resistance to certain viral and bacterial infections. Little is known about the impact of n-3 PUFA on host resistance to parasitic infection, however, based on results from a small study conducted more than two decades ago, we hypothesized that providing mice LC n-3 PUFA will diminish host resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic pathogen responsible for Chagas disease. To investigate this, C57BL/6 mice were supplemented by gavage (0.6% v/w) with phosphate-buffered saline, corn oil (CO), or menhaden fish oil (FO, a fat source rich in LC n-3 PUFA) for 15 days prior to T cruzi (Y strain) challenge and throughout the acute phase of infection. FO supplementation was associated with a transient 2-fold greater peak of blood parasitemia at 7 days postinfection (dpi), whereas subsequent cardiac parasitemia was ~60% lower at 12 dpi. FO treatment also ameliorated the leukopenia and thrombocytopenia observed in the early stages of a T cruzi infection. FO supplementation reduced circulating and cardiac nitric oxide at 7 and 12 dpi, respectively. FO supplementation altered ex vivo prostaglandin E2 and cytokine and chemokine production by splenocytes isolated from uninfected and infected mice. Overall, our results suggest that oral administration of LC n-3 PUFA from FO can have beneficial effects on the host in the early course of a T cruzi infection.
['Lovo-Martins|Maria I|MI|', 'Malvezi|Aparecida D|AD|', 'da Silva|Rosiane V|RV|', 'Zanluqui|Nágela G|NG|', 'Tatakihara|Vera L H|VLH|', 'Câmara|Niels O S|NOS|', 'de Oliveira|Ana Paula L|APL|', 'Peron|Jean P S|JPS|', 'Martins-Pinge|Marli C|MC|', 'Fritsche|Kevin L|KL|', 'Pinge-Filho|Phileno|P|']
D000208:Acute Disease D000818:Animals D000953:Antigens, Protozoan D002908:Chronic Disease D003314:Corn Oil D019587:Dietary Supplements D015232:Dinoprostone D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 D005260:Female D005395:Fish Oils D008297:Male D051379:Mice D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL D009569:Nitric Oxide D010272:Parasitic Diseases D013154:Spleen D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi
Infection Mice Chagas disease Nitric oxide Omega-3 fatty acids