Importance of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the nutritional recovery.

Severe protein deprivation at weaning, may cause a stop in cellular prolife ration and absolute number of T cells W3/13 + in the thymus of growing rats . The administration of a 20 g/100 casein recovery diet supplemented with 2 4 mg of n-3 PUFA during 9 days, counteracted this effect suggesting for the se essential nutrients a dose-dependent response. No changes were observed in hemostastic factors such as protrombine time (QUICK) and partial active tromboplastine time (KPTT). Even though total plasma lipids showed no chang es, the LDL-cholesterol fraction presented a low increment in agreement wit h international data. Daily administration of this supplemented diet did no t show an increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation in the experimental group, suggesting that natural antioxidants and vitamin E provided by the diet mi ght be playing a protective role.