|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Fish Oil Lipid Emulsions and Immune Response: What Clinicians Need to Know
Dan Linetzky Waitzberg, MD, PhD
Raquel Susana Torrinhas, RB, MSc
From the Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Surgery of the Digestive
System, Gastroenterology Department, University of São Paulo Medical
School, Brazil.
Correspondence: Address correspondence to: Dan Linetzky Waitzberg, MD, PhD, Faculdade de
Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Dr Arnaldo,
455–2° andar, sala 2108, CEP: 01245-903, São Paulo, SP,
Brasil; e-mail:
metanutri{at}terra.com.br.
Current evidence indicates that  -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid found in
fish oil, can prevent the development of inflammatory diseases by affecting
different steps of the immune response. The capacity of -3 PUFAs to
modulate synthesis of eicosanoids, activity of nuclear receptor and nuclear
transcription factors, and production of resolvins may also mitigate
inflammatory processes already present. Parenteral infusion of -3 PUFAs
is advantageous, particularly in severely ill patients, because the fatty
acids are rapidly incorporated by cells. In addition, when fatty acids are
given parenterally, there are no losses from digestion and absorption as there
are with enteral infusion. Recently, lipid emulsions enriched with -3
fish oil have been introduced as a component of parenteral nutrition.
Currently, there is one lipid emulsion that contains only fish oil; it is
infused together with conventionally used lipid emulsions. Other commercially
available lipid emulsions contain fish oil in a fat mixture; one contains 10%
fish oil and another 15% fish oil. Relevant experimental and clinical data
from studies evaluating fish oil lipid emulsions are discussed in the present
review. Administration of fish oil lipid emulsion, when compared with soybean
oil lipid emulsion (rich in -6 PUFA), decreases the length of hospital
and intensive care unit stay in surgical patients.
Key Words: -3 fatty acids • fish oils • parenteral nutrition • parenteral nutrition, total • immune system • inflammation • inflammation mediators
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, Vol. 24, No. 4,
487-499 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0884533609339071
 CiteULike  Complore  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter What's this?
|
|
