The effect of low-dose fish oil supplementation on serum growth factors inhealthy humans

Objective: To examine the effect of low-dose fish oil supplementation on sp ecific growth factors, purported to play a central role in lesion formation , and also on the total growth factor activity of serum, as assessed by the induction of DNA synthesis in cultured human arterial smooth muscle cells. Design: Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind intervention study. Setting: Free-living population. Subjects: Sixty-three healthy volunteers, 37 males and 26 females. Interventions: Four treatment regimes with subjects receiving 0, 0.3, 0.6 o r 0.9 g/day of n-3 PUFA for an 8 week period. Blood samples were taken at b aseline and following the 8 week intervention. All samples were analysed in batch following completion of the study. Results: Consumption of fish oil had no effect on serum platelet-derived gr owth factor (PDGF), or transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) concentra tion. Furthermore, fish oil supplementation did not alter the total growth factor activity of serum. Conclusions: Results indicate that low-dose fish oil supplementation, equiv alent to about two portions of fatty fish per week and providing less than Ig n-3 PUFA/day, does not alter the levels of the major serum grow rh facto rs and does not modify total serum growth factor activity in healthy human volunteers.