Premium
N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid attenuates cholesterol gallstones by suppressing mucin production with a high cholesterol diet in mice
Author(s) -
Kim Ja Kyung,
Cho Soo Min,
Kang So Hee,
Kim Eunjung,
Yi Hee,
Yun Eun Sun,
Lee Dong Goo,
Cho Hee Jung,
Paik Yong Han,
Choi Yang Kyu,
Haam Seung Joo,
Shin Ho Chul,
Lee Dong Ki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2012.07227.x
Subject(s) - ursodeoxycholic acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , medicine , gallstones , cholesterol , gallbladder , endocrinology , bile acid , fatty acid , biochemistry , chemistry
Background and Aim The increasing prevalence of cholesterol gallstone ( CG ) disease has become an economic burden to the healthcare system. Ursodeoxycholic acid ( UDCA ) is the only established medical agent used to dissolve gallstones. In investigating novel therapeutics for CG , we assessed the preventive effects of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA ) on the formation of CG induced by feeding a lithogenic diet ( LD ) containing high cholesterol levels to mice. Methods Mice were divided into the following six groups: (A) regular diet ( RD ); (B) RD +n‐3 PUFA ; (C) LD ; (D) LD +n‐3 PUFA ; (E) LD + UDCA ; (F) LD +n‐3 PUFA + UDCA . After RD / LD feeding for 2 weeks, n‐3 PUFA or UDCA was administered orally and the diet maintained for 8 weeks. The levels of phospholipids and cholesterol in bile, CG formation, gallbladder wall thickness, MUC gene expression in gallbladder were analyzed. Results No stone or sludge was evident in the RD groups (Groups A, B). Mice in the n‐3 PUFA treatment (Groups D, F) showed significantly lower stone formation than the other LD groups (Groups C, E). The combination treatment of n‐3 PUFA and UDCA suppressed stone formation more than mono‐therapy with n‐3 PUFA or UDCA . Bile phospholipid levels were significantly elevated in the Group F. Hypertrophy of the gallbladder wall was evident in mice fed LD . MUC 2, 5AC, 5B and 6 mRNA expression levels were significantly elevated in the LD ‐fed group, and this was suppressed by n‐3 PUFA with or without UDCA . Conclusions N‐3 PUFA attenuated gallstone formation in mouse, through increasing the levels of bile phospholipids and suppressing bile mucin formation.