title: Maternal and neonatal dietary intake of balanced n-6/n-3 fatty acids modulates experimental colitis in young adult rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The imbalance of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the maternal diet impairs intestinal barrier development and sensitizes the colon response to inflammatory insults in the young rats. With a view to overcoming this issue, we designed this study to investigate the effect of maternal and neonatal intake of different proportions of n-6/n-3 fatty acids on colon inflammation in the young adult rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Wistar rats were assigned into four groups, and each group fed one of four semisynthetic diets, namely n-6, low n-3, n-6/n-3 and n-3 fatty acids for 8 weeks prior to mating, during gestation and lactation periods. At weaning, the pups were separated from the dams and fed diet similar to the mothers. Colitis was induced on postnatal day 35, by administering 2 % dextran sulfate sodium in drinking water for 10 days. Colitis was assessed based on the clinical and inflammatory markers in the colon. Fatty acid analysis was done in liver, RBC, colon and spleen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A balanced n-6/n-3 PUFA diet significantly improved the body weight loss, rectal bleeding and mortality in rats. This was associated with lower myeloperoxidase activity, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, TNF-α and IL-6, IL-8, COX-2 and iNOS levels in the colon tissues. Fatty acid analysis has shown that the arachidonic acid/docosahexaenoic acid ratio was significantly lower in liver, RBC, colon and spleen in n-6/n-3 and n-3 diet groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that balanced n-6/n-3 PUFA supplementation in maternal and neonatal diet alters systemic AA/DHA ratio and attenuates colon inflammation in the young adult rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, India.
authors.forename: K Vijay Kumar
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, India. aknaidu@cftri.res.in.
authors.forename: K Akhilender
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Naidu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D004032:Diet; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D009195:Peroxidase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C489691:Ptgs2 protein, rat; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: Garden cress oil; Inflammatory mediators; Maternal and neonatal diet; Ulcerative colitis