Dietary (n-3) fatty acids from menhaden fish oil alter plasma fatty acids and leukotriene B synthesis in healthy horses.
Abstract: 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 LTB4 and LTB, by peripheral blood neutrophils stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 and plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and alpha-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 LTB5 and 9.5-fold (P = .003) more LTB4 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 LTB5 to LTB4 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 LTB5 to LTB4 concentrations is important in determining how inflammatory processes are mediated, then fish oil supplementation may have value in treatment of equine inflammatory diseases.
Publication Date: 2005-01-11 PubMed ID: 15638272DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2004)182.0.co;2Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study evaluates the impact of the incorporation of corn oil and fish oil in horse diets on their plasma fatty acid levels and the synthesis of leukotriene B by peripheral blood neutrophils. The study suggests that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids can influence horses’ inflammatory response, implying that fish oil supplementation may be beneficial in managing equine inflammatory diseases.
Study Design and Methodology
- The researchers randomly assigned two groups of horses (5 per group) to diets with either 3.0% (by weight) corn oil or fish oil for a duration of 14 weeks.
- The respective (n-6) to (n-3) fatty acid ratios in the oil supplements used were 68.1:1 for corn oil, and 0.12:1 for fish oil.
- The researchers checked the production of Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and Leukotriene B5 (LTB5) by stimulating peripheral blood neutrophils with calcium ionophore A23187.
- They also measured the plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and alpha-tocopherol.
Key Findings
- The horses that were fed fish oil exhibited significant increases in plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (27-fold), docosahexaenoic acid (34-fold), and arachidonic acid (8.3-fold) in comparison to those fed with corn oil.
- Neutrophils from horses fed fish oil produced significantly more LTB5 (78-fold) and LTB4 (9.5-fold) compared with pre-dietary levels.
- They also showed a higher production of LTB5 and LTB4 compared to the horses fed corn oil.
- The concentration ratio of LTB5 to LTB4 was 4.0-fold higher in horses provided with fish oil, implying a change in the inflammatory response.
Implications of the study
- The study highlights the influence of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on the leukotriene inflammatory response in horses.
- If the concentration ratio of LTB5 to LTB4 is crucial in determining how inflammatory processes are mediated, then supplementing equine diets with fish oil could play a vital role in the treatment and management of equine inflammatory diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Hall JA, Van Saun RJ, Wander RC.
(2005).
Dietary (n-3) fatty acids from menhaden fish oil alter plasma fatty acids and leukotriene B synthesis in healthy horses.
J Vet Intern Med, 18(6), 871-879.
https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2004)182.0.co;2 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4802, USA. Jean.Hall@oregonstate.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Diet
- Dietary Fats / administration & dosage
- Dietary Fats / pharmacology
- Dietary Supplements
- Fatty Acids / biosynthesis
- Fatty Acids / blood
- Female
- Fish Oils / administration & dosage
- Fish Oils / pharmacology
- Horses / blood
- Leukotriene B4 / biosynthesis
- Leukotriene B4 / blood
- Neutrophils / metabolism
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Hartwig S, Burron S, Richards T, Rankovic A, Ma DWL, Pearson W, Ellis J, Trevizan L, Seymour DJ, Shoveller AK. The effect of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on skin fatty acid profile and immune and inflammatory responses in healthy adult horses. J Anim Sci 2025 Jan 4;103.
- White-Springer SH, Vineyard KR, Kivipelto J, Warren LK. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does not impair vitamin E status or promote lipid peroxidation in growing horses. J Anim Sci 2021 Jul 1;99(7).
- Bradbery AN, Coverdale JA, Vernon KL, Leatherwood JL, Arnold CE, Dabareiner RA, Kahn MK, Millican AA, Welsh TH Jr. Evaluation of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on markers of joint inflammation and cartilage metabolism in young horses challenged with lipopolysaccharide. J Anim Sci 2018 Mar 6;96(2):579-590.
- Hall JA, Hartman J, Skinner MM, Schwindt AR, Fischer KA, Vorachek WR, Bobe G, Valentine BA. Dietary Enrichment with 20% Fish Oil Decreases Mucus Production and the Inflammatory Response in Mice with Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Lung Inflammation. PLoS One 2016;11(9):e0163819.
- Lin S, Hou J, Xiang F, Zhang X, Che L, Lin Y, Xu S, Tian G, Zeng Q, Yu B, Zhang K, Chen D, Wu D, Fang Z. Mammary inflammation around parturition appeared to be attenuated by consumption of fish oil rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Lipids Health Dis 2013 Dec 31;12:190.
- Djuric Z. The Mediterranean diet: effects on proteins that mediate fatty acid metabolism in the colon. Nutr Rev 2011 Dec;69(12):730-44.
- Khol-Parisini A, van den Hoven R, Leinker S, Hulan HW, Zentek J. Effects of feeding sunflower oil or seal blubber oil to horses with recurrent airway obstruction. Can J Vet Res 2007 Jan;71(1):59-65.
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