title: Could n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce pathological pain by direct actions on the nervous system?
abstract: The intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in many industrialized countries is relatively low and its increased consumption has protective and modifying effects on such diverse conditions as atherosclerosis, ventricular arrhythmias, multiple sclerosis, major depression and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In addition, n-3 PUFAs have been shown to alleviate pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and in a number of other painful conditions. This has been attributed to the inhibition of pro-inflammatory eicosanoid and cytokine production by peripheral tissues. n-3 PUFAs have also been shown to inhibit eicosanoid production in glial cells, block voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), inhibit neuronal protein kinases and modulate gene expression. They also appear to have mood-stabilizing and sympatholytic effects. The present article explores the possibility that, based on what is known about their neural and non-neural effects, n-3 PUFAs directly attenuate the neuronal and glial processes that underlie neuropathic and inflammatory pain.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Medical Center, 62 Lochamim Street, 58220 Holon, Israel. haim_shapiro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Haim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors