Effects of short-term oral administration of dietary marine oils in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and joint pain: a pilot study comparing seal oil and cod liver oil.
BACKGROUND
Very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have modulating effects on inflammatory mechanisms. Seal and fish oils are rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and possibly therefore high doses of nasoduodenally administered seal oil rapidly relieved inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated joint pain in two recent studies. In the present study, we compared the effects of short-term oral administration of seal oil and cod liver oil on IBD-related joint pain, leucotriene B(4) level, serum fatty acid profile and IBD activity.


METHODS
Thirty-eight patients with IBD-related joint pain were included in the study; 21 had Crohn's disease and 17 ulcerative colitis. Ten milliters of seal oil (n=18) or cod liver oil (n=20) was self-administered orally 3 times a day for 14 days before meals in a double-blind setting.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the two intervention groups or between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. There was a tendency toward improvement in several joint pain parameters after both seal oil and cod liver oil administration. Further, plasma leucotriene B(4) concentration, serum Sigma n-6 to Sigma n-3, and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) ratios were similarly reduced after administration of seal oil and cod liver oil.


CONCLUSIONS
No significant differences in the two treatment groups were seen; in both groups, the changes in several joint pain parameters, leucotriene B(4) level of plasma, and serum fatty acid profile were putatively favourable.
Brunborg
Linn A
LA
National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), P.O. Box 2029, Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway. linn.anne.brunborg@nifes.no
Madland
Tor M
TM
Lind
Ragna A
RA
Arslan
Gülen
G
Berstad
Arnold
A
Frøyland
Livar
L
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003060:Cod Liver Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D046069:Fur Seals; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D003060:Cod Liver Oil