Fish Oil - Omega-3 Exerts Protective Effect in Oxidative Stress and Liver Dysfunctions Resulting from Experimental Sepsis

Mary J Soares Gonçalves Velasque; Gisele Branchini; Anderson V Catarina; Lais Bettoni; Renata S Fernandes; Arthur Ferreira Da Silva; Gilson P Dorneles; Igor Martins da Silva; Maeli A Santos; Juliana Sumienski; Alessandra Peres; Adriana V Roehe; Maria B da Fonte Kohek; Marilene Porawski; Fernanda B Nunes

doi:10.1016/j.jceh.2022.07.001

Fish Oil - Omega-3 Exerts Protective Effect in Oxidative Stress and Liver Dysfunctions Resulting from Experimental Sepsis

J Clin Exp Hepatol. 2023 Jan-Feb;13(1):64-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jceh.2022.07.001. Epub 2022 Jul 10.

Authors

Mary J Soares Gonçalves Velasque¹, Gisele Branchini¹, Anderson V Catarina¹, Lais Bettoni¹, Renata S Fernandes², Arthur Ferreira Da Silva³, Gilson P Dorneles⁴, Igor Martins da Silva⁴, Maeli A Santos⁴, Juliana Sumienski⁵, Alessandra Peres⁴, Adriana V Roehe⁶, Maria B da Fonte Kohek⁴, Marilene Porawski⁷, Fernanda B Nunes^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program in Pathology - Laboratory of Computational, Molecular, and Cellular Biophysics, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Brazil.
² Graduate Program in Health Sciences - Laboratory of Translational Physiology - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Brazil.
³ Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil.
⁴ Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Brazil.
⁵ Laboratory of Immunology and Microbiology - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil.
⁶ Graduate Program in Pathology - Laboratory of Pathology - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Brazil.
⁷ Laboratory of Behavioral and Metabolic Physiology - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Brazil.
⁸ Laboratory of Inflammation and Cellular Biophysics - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Sepsis is a severe global health problem, with high morbidity and mortality. In sepsis, one of the main affected organs is the liver. Hepatic alterations characterize a negative prognostic. Omega-3 fatty acids (ω3), eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, are part of the main families of polyunsaturated fatty acids. ω3 has been used in studies as sepsis treatment and as a treatment for non-alcoholic liver disease.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with fish oil (FO) rich in ω3 on liver changes and damage resulting from experimental sepsis.

Methodology: A model of severe sepsis in Wistar rats was used. Oxidative stress in the liver tissue was evaluated by means of tests of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, 2,7-dihydrodichlorofluorescein diacetate , catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, in the serum TBARS, DCF, thiols and, to assess liver dysfunction, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Hepatic tissue damage was evaluated using H&E histology.

Results: In assessments of oxidative stress in liver tissue, a protective effect was observed in the tests of TBARS, DCF, CAT, and GPx, when compared the sepsis versus sepsis+ω3 groups. Regarding the oxidative stress in serum, a protective effect of treatment with ω3 was observed in the TBARS, DCF, and thiols assays, in the comparison between the sepsis and sepsis+ω3 groups. ω3 had also a beneficial effect on biochemical parameters in serum in the analysis of ALT, creatinine, urea, and lactate, observed in the comparison between the sepsis and sepsis+ω3 groups.

Conclusion: The results suggest ω3 as a liver protector during sepsis with an antioxidant effect, alleviating injuries and dysfunctions.

Keywords: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CAT, catalase; DCF, 2,7-dihydrodichlorofluorescein diacetate; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; FO, fish oil; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; GTO, oxaloacetic transaminase; GTP, pyruvic transaminase; HE, Hematoxylin and Eosin; ICON, Intensive Care Over Nations; ICU, intensive care unit; IFN- γ, interferon gamma; Liver injury; RNS, reactive nitrogen species; ROS, reactive oxygen species; TBARS, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; antioxidant; inflammation; omega-3; oxidative stress; sepsis; ω3, omega-3.