Increase of EPA-derived hydroxy, epoxy and dihydroxy fatty acid levels in human plasma after a single dose of long-chain omega-3 PUFA

authored by

Jan Philipp Schuchardt, Inga Schneider, Ina Willenberg, Jun Yang, Bruce D Hammock, Andreas Hahn, Nils Helge Schebb

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Several supplementation studies with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) describe an increase of EPA-derived hydroxy, epoxy and dihydroxy fatty acids in blood, while changes in levels of other LC n-3 and n-6 PUFA-derived oxylipins were minor. In order to investigate the kinetics of changes in oxylipin levels in response to LC n-3 PUFA ingestion, we conducted a single dose treatment study with healthy subjects.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In the present kinetic study, we compared patterns of hydroxy, epoxy and dihydroxy fatty acids in plasma of 6 healthy men before and after 6, 8, 24, and 48h of fish oil (1008mg EPA and 672mg DHA) ingestion. Levels of EPA- as well as other LC PUFA-derived hydroxy, epoxy and dihydroxy fatty acids were analyzed in plasma by LC-MS. Additionally, levels of these oxylipins were compared with their parent PUFA levels in plasma phospholipids.

RESULTS: All EPA-derived oxylipin levels were significantly increased 6h after LC n-3 PUFA ingestion and gradually drop thereafter reaching the baseline levels about 48h after treatment. The relative increase in EPA plasma phospholipid levels highly correlated with the increase of plasma EPA-derived oxylipin levels at different time points. In contrast, plasma levels of arachidonic acid- and DHA-derived oxylipins as well as parent PUFA levels in plasma phospholipids were hardly changed.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that a single dose of LC n-3 PUFAs can rapidly induce a shift in the EPA oxylipin profile of healthy subjects within a few hours. Taking the high biological activity of the EPA-derived epoxy fatty acids into account, even short-term treatment with LC n-3 PUFAs may cause systemic effects, which warrant further investigation.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Nutrition Physiology and Human Nutrition Section

External Organisation(s)

University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Foundation
University of California at San Diego

Type

Article

Journal

Prostaglandins and Other Lipid Mediators

Volume

109-111

Pages

23-31

No. of pages

ISSN

1098-8823

Publication date

06.2014

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry, Physiology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2014.03.001 (Access: Unknown)