| Acute Lung Injury is Reduced in fat-1 Mice Endogenously Synthesizing n-3 Fatty Acids (2009) | |||||||
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| RATIONALE: acute lung injury (ALI) remains an important cause of mortality in intensive care units. Inflammation is controlled by cytokines and eicosanoids derived from the n-6 fatty acid (FA) arachidonic acid (AA). The n-3 FA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and mediators derived from EPA and DHA possess reduced inflammatory potency. OBJECTIVES: to determine whether the ability fat-1 mice to endogenously convert n-6 to n-3 FA, and thus generate an increased ratio of n-3 to n-6 FA, impacts experimental ALI. METHODS: we investigated ALI induced by intra-tracheal instillation of endotoxin in fat-1 and wild type (WT) mice assessing leukocyte numbers, protein concentration, and prostaglandin and cytokines levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; free FA in plasma, and lung ventilator compliance. Body temperature and motor activity of mice - markers of sickness behavior - were also recorded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: in ALI, fat-1 mice exhibited significantly reduced leukocyte invasion, protein leakage, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and thromboxane B2 levels in lavage fluid compared to WT mice. Free AA levels were increased in the plasma of WT mice in response to endotoxin, while EPA and DHA were increased in the fat-1 group. Ventilator compliance was significantly improved in fat-1 mice. Body temperature and motor activity were decreased in ALI. Fat-1 mice recovered body temperature and motor activity faster. CONCLUSIONS: fat-1 mice exhibited reduced features of ALI and sickness behavior. Increasing the availability of n-3 FA may thus be beneficial in critical ill patients with ALI. | |||||||
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