title: Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid attenuates 5-fluorouracil induced mucositis in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies showed the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease as it alleviated the symptoms and promoted better mucosal integrity. The objective of this study was to determine whether a diet with the addition of n-3 FA helps control the inflammation observed in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) induced mucositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups as follows: 1: control (CTL), fed a standard chow diet; 2: CTL + n-3 FA - n-3 FA, fed a diet with n-3; 3: mucositis (MUC), fed a standard chow diet and subjected to mucositis; and 4: MUC+ n-3 FA, fed a diet with n-3 FA and subjected to mucositis. On the 8th day, the animals of the MUC and MUC + n-3 FA groups received an intraperitoneal injection of 300 mg/kg 5-FU for mucositis induction. After 24 h or 72 h, all mice were euthanized and evaluated for intestinal permeability, bacterial translocation, intestinal histology and apoptosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice that received the diet with n-3 FA and a 5-FU injection showed less weight loss compared to the animals of the MUC group (p < 0.005). Decreased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation were also observed in animals fed n-3 FA, and these mice underwent mucositis compared to the MUC group (p < 0.005). These data were associated with mucosal integrity and a reduced number of apoptotic cells in the ileum mucosa compared to the mice that received the control diet and 5-FU injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these results show that omega-3 fatty acid decreases the mucosal damage caused by 5-FU-induced mucositis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. simonenutufmg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Simone de Vasconcelos
authors.initials: Sde V
authors.lastname: Generoso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. nubia_mrodrigues@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Núbia Morais
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. luisatrindade2009@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Luísa Martins
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil. niviacarolina@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Nivea Carolina
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. valbertcardoso@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Valbert Nascimento
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil. claudiamartinscarneiro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cláudia Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. adaliene@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adaliene Versiani de Matos
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. afaria@ufmg.icb.br.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Caetano
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. tatianimaioli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tatiani Uceli
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Maioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007267:Injections; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D052016:Mucositis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005472:Fluorouracil