title: Effects of fatty acids on liver regeneration in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) omega-3 and omega-6 in the oxidative stress and in liver regeneration in rats subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy (PH, 70% hepatectomy, Higgins-Anderson partial hepatectomy).
  
  
  METHODS
  72 young male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal-sized groups: control (G1), partially hepatectomized (G2), partially hepatectomized with two weeks daily intraperitoneal infusion of omega-3 (G3) and partially hepatectomized with two weeks daily intraperitoneal infusion of omega-6 (G4). In moments 36 h (T1), 168 h (T2) and 336 h (T3) post-PH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in plasma and liver tissue, while glucose and total bilirubin were measured in blood. The mass of the residual liver in the same moments was the parameter used to estimate the evolution of liver regeneration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  omega-3 PUFA inhibited liver regeneration and induced reduction of hepatic GSH concentration seven days post-PH. Omega-6 PUFA, in contrast, showed no inhibitory effect on regeneration. There was an increase of lipid peroxidation both in blood and liver with administration of omega-6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Omega-3 PUFA retarded post-PH liver regeneration, probably through inhibition of oxidative stress. Omega-6 PUFA increased TBARS concentrations in blood and liver but did not alter the evolution of the liver regenerative process.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. dr.ulisses@netbandalarga.com.br
authors.forename: José Ulisses de Souza
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Jefferson Menezes Viana
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Osamu de Sandes
authors.initials: Ode S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Manoel Messias
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Campos Júnior
authors.forename: Radamés Bezerra
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Leitão de
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6