Open AccessDietary (n‐3) Fatty Acids from Menhaden Fish Oil Alter Plasma Fatty Acids and Leukotriene B Synthesis in Healthy Horses
Author(s) -
Hall Jean A.,
Saun Robert J.,
Wander Rosemary C.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2004.tb02635.x
Subject(s) - fish oil , corn oil , eicosapentaenoic acid , arachidonic acid , menhaden , docosahexaenoic acid , fatty acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , chemistry , leukotriene , medicine , endocrinology , food science , biochemistry , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , asthma , enzyme
The study objective was to determine the effect of feeding corn oil or fish oil to horses on plasma fatty acid profiles and leukotriene B (LTB) synthesis by stimulated peripheral blood neutrophils. Two groups of horses (n = 5) were randomly assigned to diets supplemented with either 3.0% (by weight) corn oil or fish oil for a period of 14 weeks. The ratio of (n‐6) to (n‐3) fatty acids in oil supplements was 68.1:1 for corn oil and 0.12:1 for fish oil. Production of LTB 4 and LTB 5 by peripheral blood neutrophils stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 and plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and α‐tocopherol concentrations were measured. At 12 weeks, horses fed fish oil had increased plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (27‐fold; 8.5 versus 0.3 g/100 g fatty acids; P < .0001), docosahexaenoic acid (34‐fold; 5.1 versus 0.1 g/100 g fatty acids; P < .0001), and arachidonic acid (8.3‐fold; 4.1 versus 0.5 g/100 g fatty acids; P < .0001) compared with horses fed corn oil. Neutrophils from horses fed fish oil produced 78‐fold ( P = .01) more LTB 5 and 9.5‐fold ( P = .003) more LTB 4 compared with predietary levels, and 17.6‐fold ( P = .01) and 3.3‐fold ( P = .02), respectively, more than horses fed corn oil, and the ratio of LTB 5 to LTB 4 concentrations was 4.0‐fold ( P = .002) higher in horses fed fish oil. This study suggests that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the leukotriene inflammatory response of horses. If the ratio of LTB 5 to LTB 4 concentrations is important in determining how inflammatory processes are mediated, then fish oil supplementation may have value in treatment of equine inflammatory diseases.