title: Effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on intestinal inflammation and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a neonatal rat model.
abstract: Inasmuch as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, metabolites of the essential n-3 and n-6 fatty acids) are known to modulate inflammation, we hypothesized that supplementation of formula with these compounds would prevent necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and intestinal inflammation in our neonatal rat model. Newborn rats were stressed with asphyxia and formula feeding, and randomly assigned to control formula, control with PUFA supplementation, and PUFA with nucleotides. Animals were followed for 72--96 h and assessed for death, gross and histologic NEC, intestinal apoptosis, endotoxemia, and intestinal mRNA synthesis of phospholipase A(2)-II (rate-limiting enzyme for platelet activating factor production), platelet activating factor receptor, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. We found that PUFA reduced the incidence of death and NEC compared with the other groups (NEC 8 of 24 versus 17 of 24 control and 13 of 23 PUFA + nucleotides, p < 0.05). Furthermore, PUFA reduced plasma endotoxemia at 48 h (25 +/- 4 EU/mL versus 276 +/- 39 EU/mL in control and 170 +/- 28 EU/mL in PUFA + nucleotide), intestinal phospholipase A(2)-II expression at 24 h, and platelet activating factor receptor expression at 48 h. Formula supplementation had no effect on apoptosis of intestinal epithelium or intestinal inducible nitric oxide synthase expression. Addition of nucleotides with PUFA abrogated the beneficial effects of PUFA on intestinal inflammation. We conclude that PUFA reduces the incidence of NEC and intestinal inflammation in a neonatal rat model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Northwestern University Medical School, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA. mca113@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaup
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jilling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004751:Enteritis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000235:genetics; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D010741:Phospholipases A