Eicosapentanoic acid prolongs survival and attenuates inflammatory response in an experimental model of lethal trauma.
In an attempt to define the efficacy of intravenously administered n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in an animal model of lethal trauma following femur fracture, an intravenous solution of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) - one n-3 PUFA - was administered in 25 rabbits; 13 were controls and 12 were treated with EPA 30 min after fracture. Vital signs were recorded and serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and respiratory burst of neutrophils were assessed. Survival of controls was 7.7% and of animals treated with EPA 50% (log-rank: 5.162; p: 0.023). Vital signs of both groups did not differ. Oxidative burst of neutrophils was greater among EPA-treated animals compared with controls at 48 h (p: 0.010). Serum levels of TNFalpha of the former group were decreased compared with the latter at 48 h (p: 0.019). Bacterial growth of enterobacteriaceae from liver and spleen after death or euthanasia was lower among EPA-treated rabbits than controls. These results suggest that EPA possesses considerable immunomodulatory activities improving survival in a model of lethal trauma. Restoration of oxidative burst conferring efficient phagocytosis of evading bacteria seems the most probable mechanism of action.
Koutsostathis
Stefanos
S
2nd Department of Orthopaedics, University of Athens Medical School, Greece.
Tsaganos
Thomas
T
Giamarellos-Bourboulis
Evangelos J
EJ
Kotsaki
Antigone
A
Papalois
Apostolos
A
Efstathopoulos
Nicolas
N
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid