Fish oil supplementation benefits the murine host during the acute phase of a parasitic infection from Trypanosoma cruzi

Nutrition Research
Maria I Lovo-MartinsPhileno Pinge-Filho

Abstract

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) are known to modulate a variety of immune cell functions. On occasion, this has led to diminished host resistance to certain viral and bacterial infections. Little is known about the impact of n-3 PUFA on host resistance to parasitic infection, however, based on results from a small study conducted more than two decades ago, we hypothesized that providing mice LC n-3 PUFA will diminish host resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic pathogen responsible for Chagas disease. To investigate this, C57BL/6 mice were supplemented by gavage (0.6% v/w) with phosphate-buffered saline, corn oil (CO), or menhaden fish oil (FO, a fat source rich in LC n-3 PUFA) for 15 days prior to T cruzi (Y strain) challenge and throughout the acute phase of infection. FO supplementation was associated with a transient 2-fold greater peak of blood parasitemia at 7 days postinfection (dpi), whereas subsequent cardiac parasitemia was ~60% lower at 12 dpi. FO treatment also ameliorated the leukopenia and thrombocytopenia observed in the early stages of a T cruzi infection. FO supplementation reduced circulating and cardiac nitric oxide at 7 and 12 dpi, respectively. FO supplementation altered ...Continue Reading

References

Jul 7, 2012·British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·Philip C Calder

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Citations

Dec 18, 2018·Frontiers in Microbiology·Sanjay VarikutiAbhay R Satoskar
Jun 12, 2021·Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine·Débora Maria Soares de SouzaAndré Talvani

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