title: Fish oil improves lipid metabolism and ameliorates inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome: impact of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly prevalent in Egypt, in parallel with increasing obesity. NAFLD can lead to liver inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis. NAFLD appears tightly linked with metabolic syndrome (MetS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Examine the impact of dietary fish oil on human patients with MetS and NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty patients were enrolled in the current study and classified into two groups: patients with both MetS and NAFLD and patients with MetS alone. Sixty-four patients were treated with daily supplementation of 2 g of fish oil for 6 months. Markers of hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress, hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and malondialdhyde (MDA), as well as proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients without fish oil exhibited significant increases in triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), H(2)O(2) and MDA that were associated with significantly elevated TNF-α and IL-6 compared to controls. Furthermore, patients with both NAFLD and MetS showed significant increase in H(2)O(2), MDA, TNF-α and IL-6 levels compared with MetS group (p < 0.05). Treatment with fish oil reduced serum level of TG, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), H(2)O(2), MDA, TNF-α and IL-6 levels in patients and did not affect the control levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with NAFLD had bad lipid profile through a mechanism that involved developed redox imbalance, characterized by boosted free-radical activity and lipid peroxidation enhancing the release of proinflammatory cytokines leading to increased MetS risk and liver damage. However, daily treatment of patients with fish oil for 6 months improved lipid profile and blocked the oxidative stress and cytokines release.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt. mhgayyar@yahoo.com
authors: Mohammed M H
authors: MM
authors: Al-Gayyar
authors: Mohamed E E
authors: ME
authors: Shams
authors: Enaase A M E
authors: EA
authors: Barakat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004534:Egypt; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005395:Fish Oils; D008055:Lipids