Omega-3-rich fish oil lipid emulsions prevent sepsis-driven mesenteric hypoperfusion and multiorgan injury in a murine model.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Parenteral feeding is used in critically ill patients when enteral nutrition is inadequate or intolerable, or when the gastrointestinal tract is nonfunctional. Lipid emulsions play a major role in parenteral nutrition, supplying the necessary fatty acids and providing high-caloric density. We investigated the effects of various parenteral lipid emulsions on mesenteric perfusion, inflammation-induced oxidation, and organ damage in a lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse endotoxemia model.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Organ damage induced by lipopolysaccharide in septic mice was assessed histopathologically and biochemically, and an ultrasonic blood flowmeter was used to measure the impact of lipid emulsions on mesenteric blood flow.

RESULTS

Lipopolysaccharide injection significantly reduced mesenteric blood flow when compared to saline controls (3.02 ± 0.10 mL/min vs 1.44 ± 0.10 mL/min, p < 0.05). Only fish oil emulsion treatment significantly abrogated this decrease (2.84 ± 0.39 mL/min, p < 0.05). None of the tested lipid emulsions prevented lipopolysaccharide-induced increases in liver and spleen weights. Fish oil reduced liver damage in septic mice, whereas specific dosages of olive and soybean oils caused significant histopathological liver and spleen damage even in the control animals. Furthermore, soybean and olive oil also significantly increased serum oxidative stress in the healthy control mice (2.55 ± 0.06 vs 4.93 ± 0.38 and 4.28 ± 0.12, p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Fish oil emulsions with high omega-3 fatty acid content abrogated the decrease in mesenteric blood flow and prevented liver damage in this experimental endotoxemia model.