The Effects of Fish Oil Supplemented Nutrition on the Levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Inflammatory Mediators and Tissue Healing in Rats with Full Thickness Burn Injury
Shamsul Kamaruljan Hassan, Rhendra Hardy Mohamad Zaini, Ahmad Sabri Sharif, Wan Fadzlina Wan Muhd Shukeri

Universiti Sains Malaysia

Abstract

Background: Literature around supplementation of fish oil is found to be lacking in the burn injury population. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fish oil supplemented nutrition on the levels of omega-3 fatty acids, inflammatory mediators and tissue healing in rats with full thickness burn injury (FTBI).

Methods: Thirty male Sprague-dawley rats weighing between 350 to 400 grams subjected to FTBI were randomized into either the experimental group (n = 15), that received standard diet supplemented with fish oil 2.5 ml/kg/day intravenously, or the control group (n = 15), that received standard diet only. Blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexanoic acid [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]), anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-12) were measured at baseline, 5, 10 and 21 days. Five rats from each group were euthanized at day 5, 10 and 21 days and their burned tissues were biopsied for histological examination.

Results: At 21 days, the mean changes from baseline of DHA were 82.80 (95% CI, 57.35 to 108.24) ng/mL in the experimental group versus 2.35 (95% CI, -23.09 to 27.79) ng/mL in the control group (P = 0.002). Meanwhile, the mean changes from baseline of EPA was 27.17 (95% CI, 23.37 to 30.97) ng/mL in the experimental group versus 1.00 (95% CI, -2.80 to 4.80) ng/mL in the control group (P <0.001). At 10 days, the mean changes from baseline of interleukin-10 were 0.06 (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.10) ng/mL in the experimental group versus -0.01 (95% CI, -.04 to 0.03) ng/mL in the control group (P = 0.018). Meanwhile, the mean changes from baseline of interleukin-12 were -0.07 (95% CI, -0.14 to -0.01) ng/mL versus 0.02 (95% CI, -.04 to 0.09) ng/mL in the control group (P = 0.04). These changes were not statistically significant at 21 days. Histological examination showed no significant differences in the granulation tissue thickness and epidermal thickness between the two groups.

Conclusion: Fish oil supplemented nutrition resulted in a significantly higher level of omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, in rats with FTBI. Supplementation of the fish oil increased the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, while decreased the level of pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-12, suggesting its immuno-modulatory effect in burn. In this study, fish oil supplementation did not increase the rate of tissue healing.

Keywords: Immunonutrition; Fish oil; Burn

Topic: Nutrition and Functional Food