THE EFFECT OF N-3 FATTY-ACIDS ON NEUTROPHIL CHEMILUMINESCENCE

The effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty a cids (PUFAs) on the production of free oxygen radicals from activated neutrophils was investigated in healthy subjects, using chemiluminesce nce. In the first study 22 persons were give 4 g n-3 PUFAs daily for 6 weeks. There was a median reduction of chemiluminescence from neutrop hils stimulated with opsonized zymosan of 37% (p<0.001). The median co ntent of eicosapentaenoic acid in platelets, used as an indicator for cellular fatty acid profile, increased from 0.70 to 2.80% (p<0.001), a nd there was a significant negative correlation between the chemilumin escence signal and the content of eicosapentaenoic acid in platelets ( p<0.001). In a second, low-dose study 24 persons were allocated to dai ly supplementation with either 0.65 g n-3 PUFAs or with a control oil for 6 weeks. Compared to the control group there was a median reductio n of 38 and 44% in chemiluminescence from neutrophils stimulated with opsonized zymosan and phorbol, 12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA), respect ively. Neither of these differences, however, was statistically signif icant. These findings lend support for a possible role of n-3 PUFAs in the management of inflammatory disorders.