title: Alleviation of autoimmune disease by dietary lipids containing omega-3 fatty acids.
abstract: Dietary marine lipids that are enriched in omega-3, or n-3, fatty acids reduce the severity of autoimmune glomerulonephritis in several inbred murine strains. The protective effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids is also seen with a rat model of immune-complex induced vasculopathy, but no protective effects were seen with autoimmune vasculitis in the MRL/lpr mouse or with type II collagen-induced arthritis in rats. Dietary n-3 fatty acids are potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, but careful clinical trials with the purified forms of n-3 fatty acids are needed to determine the usefulness of this intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000097:blood; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids