title: MAG-EPA reduces severity of DSS-induced colitis in rats.
abstract: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease characterized by diffuse inflammation of the intestinal mucosa of the large bowel. Omega-3 (ω3) fatty acid supplementation has been associated with a decreased production of inflammatory cytokines involved in UC pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the preventive and therapeutic potential of eicosapentaenoic acid monoglyceride (MAG-EPA) in an in vivo rats model of UC induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). DSS rats were untreated or treated per os with MAG-EPA. Morphological, histological, and biochemical analyses were performed following MAG-EPA administrations. Morphological and histological analyses revealed that MAG-EPA pretreatment (12 days pre-DSS) and treatment (6 days post-DSS) exhibited strong activity in reducing severity of disease in DSS rats. Following MAG-EPA administrations, tissue levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were markedly lower compared with rats treated only with DSS. MAG-EPA per os administration decrease neutrophil infiltration in colon tissues, as depicted by myelohyperoxidase activity. Results also revealed a reduced activation of NF-κB pathways correlated with a decreased expression of COX-2 in colon homogenates derived from MAG-EPA-pretreated and treated rats. Tension measurements performed on colon tissues revealed that contractile responses to methacholine and relaxing effect induced by sodium nitroprusside were largely increased following MAG-EPA treatment. The combined treatment of MAG-EPA and vitamin E displayed an antagonistic effect on anti-inflammatory properties of MAG-EPA in DSS rats.
authors.affiliation: SCF Pharma, Ste-Luce, Quebec, Canada; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Blier
authors.affiliation: SCF Pharma, Ste-Luce, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biology, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada sfortin@scfpharma.com.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fortin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000633:toxicity; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D050178:Monoglycerides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C588285:1-eicosapentaenoylglycerol; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D050178:Monoglycerides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: TNF-α; colitis; eicosapentaenoic acid; inflammation