FISH OIL-SUPPLEMENTED FEEDING DOES NOT ATTENUATE WARM LIVER ISCHEMIA AND REPERFUSION INJURY IN THE RAT

Liver ischemia and reperfusion injury is mediated by oxygen free radic als, cytokines, and prostanoids produced by Kupffer cells and infiltra ting neutrophils. Fish oil-supplemented diets alter membrane phospholi pid composition and modify prostanoids and cytokine production in resp onse to ischemia and reperfusion, This study tested the hypothesis tha t a fish oil-supplemented diet would attenuate warm liver ischemia and reperfusion injury in the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed Vita l HN supplemented with either fish oil (FO) or corn oil (CO) by the co ntinuous duodenal infusion for 5 days. Total dietary fat (26% of total calories),caloric intake (70 cal/day), and volume (60 ml/day) were id entical between two groups, Plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and doc osahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels increased significantly in rats fed fis h oil (0 to 16.3% for EPA and 2 to 12% for DHA), Liver histology was s imilar in both groups before ischemia. On Day 6, rats were subjected t o 60 min of reversible hepatic ischemia. Plasma TNF levels, 1 and 24 h r after reperfusion, were not different between FO and CO rats. Liver injury assessed by bile flow, histology, plasma ALT, and bile glutathi one efflux did not differ between groups, We conclude that our fish oi l-supplemented enteral diet does not attenuate warm liver ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats. (C) 1997 Academic Press.