title: Maternal dietary DHA supplementation to improve inflammatory outcomes in the preterm infant.
abstract: Dietary DHA (22:6n-3) is a long-chain PUFA that has provocative effects on inflammatory signal events that could potentially affect preterm infant health. It is well known that the essential fatty acid of the (n-3) series; α-linolenic acid (18:3n:3) can be desaturated and elongated in the liver endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisome to produce the 22-carbon DHA. Nevertheless, concern exists as to the efficiency of this mechanism in providing the preterm infant with adequate DHA. Activity of the δ-6-desaturase and the δ-5-desaturase necessary for DHA synthesis is decreased by protein deprivation. The combined effects of suboptimal intake of both DHA and protein in the preterm infants could have substantial clinical consequences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Perinatal, and Pulmonary Biology, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Human Milk and Lactation, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Christina.valentine@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Valentine
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids