title: Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on hepatic tight junction after partial hepatectomy in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) on the hepatic tight junction in rat liver after partial hepatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: sham operation, 70% hepatectomy, 70% hepatectomy with administration of 1 mL/kg n-3 PUFA, and 70% hepatectomy with administration of 2 mL/kg n-3 PUFA. Morphologic features of the hepatic tight junction were observed at transmission electron microscopy, and expression of the tight junction proteins occludin, claudin-3, and ZO-1 was studied using Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hepatic tight junction structure became loosened 3 days after 70% hepatectomy. The levels of tight junction occludin decreased markedly, whereas claudin-3 and ZO-1 levels increased 2- or 3-fold over control levels. Supplementation of n-3 PUFA alleviated the changes in tight junction structure and occludin expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  n-3 PUFA has protective effects on hepatic tight junction structure after 70% hepatectomy, which were attributed in part to modulation of occludin expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical College, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3