Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Counteract Inflammatory and Oxidative Damage of Non-Transformed Porcine Enterocytes.

Tamil Selvi Sundaram,Carlotta Giromini,Antonella Baldi,Raffaella Rebucci

doi:10.3390/ani10060956

Abstract

Simple SummaryFarm animals frequently suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases due to certain physiological or pathophysiological conditions such as weaning, the periparturient period and infections. Traditionally, antibiotics were added to animal diets to counteract inflammation and enhance growth. However, this leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial species which causes potential health hazards. Over several decades, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been known to exhibit a multitude of beneficial effects in animal health and are regarded as a functional food with therapeutic potential. We accessed the bioactivity of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in pig intestinal epithelium under different stress conditions in an in vitro set-up. Our results demonstrated the proliferative and cytoprotective properties of the two fatty acids, which are fundamental to determining the cellular mechanism for efficient utilization in pig diets.Marine and plant-based omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) are widely added to animal diets to promote growth and immunity. We tested the hypothesis that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and their 1:2 combination could counteract acute or long-term damage of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in Intestinal Porcine Epithelial Cell line-J2 (IPEC-J2). The results showed that 24 h treatment with EPA or DHA exhibited proliferative effects in IPEC-J2 cells at low to moderate concentrations (6.25–50 μM) (p < 0.05). Further, 24 h pretreatment with individual DHA (3.3 µM), EPA (6.7 µM) or as DHA:EPA (1:2; 10 µM) combination increased the mitochondrial activity or cell membrane integrity post-LPS (24 h), DSS (24 h) and H2O2 (1 h) challenge (p < 0.05). Additionally, DHA:EPA (1:2, 10 µM) combination decreased the apoptotic caspase-3/7 activity around twofold after 24 h LPS and DSS challenge (p < 0.05). Our study confirms the proliferative and cytoprotective properties of EPA and DHA in IPEC-J2 cells. Increased intracellular mitochondrial activity and cell membrane integrity by ω-3 PUFAs can play a role in preventing enterocyte apoptosis during acute or chronic inflammatory and oxidative stress.

Highlights

The intestinal epithelial layer (IEL) at the gut–lumen and tissue interface is an important key player of host–innate immunity
Increased intracellular mitochondrial activity and cell membrane integrity by ω-3 PUFAs can play a role in preventing enterocyte apoptosis during acute or chronic inflammatory and oxidative stress
These principal findings are supported by numerous animal studies which reported that dietary supplementation of ω-3 PUFAs ameliorates lipopolysaccharides (LPS) mediated inflammation and weaning stress and improves intestinal structure during gestation and lactation in pigs [8,9,10,11]

Summary

Introduction

The intestinal epithelial layer (IEL) at the gut–lumen and tissue interface is an important key player of host–innate immunity. It has been found that ω-3 can replace ω-6 in immune cell membranes and give rise to low potency lipid-mediators that act as agonists of pro-inflammation [5,6,7]. These principal findings are supported by numerous animal studies which reported that dietary supplementation of ω-3 PUFAs ameliorates lipopolysaccharides (LPS) mediated inflammation and weaning stress and improves intestinal structure during gestation and lactation in pigs [8,9,10,11]. Ω-3 PUFAs were shown to reverse mycotoxin damage of non-transformed

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