Oral Administration of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Attenuates Lung Injury Caused by PM2.5 Respiratory Inhalation Simply and Feasibly In Vivo

Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 10;23(10):5323. doi: 10.3390/ijms23105323.

Abstract

For developing an effective interventional approach and treatment modality for PM2.5, the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on alleviating inflammation and attenuating lung injury induced by inhalation exposure of PM2.5 were assessed in murine models. We found that daily oral administration of the active components of omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) effectively alleviated lung parenchymal lesions, restored normal inflammatory cytokine levels and oxidative stress levels in treating mice exposed to PM2.5 (20 mg/kg) every 3 days for 5 times over a 14-day period. Especially, CT images and the pathological analysis suggested protective effects of DHA and EPA on lung injury. The key molecular mechanism is that DHA and EPA can inhibit the entry and deposition of PM2.5, and block the PM2.5-mediated cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Keywords: PM2.5; docosahexaenoic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; lung injury; omega-3 fatty acids.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / pharmacology
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / therapeutic use
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / pharmacology
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3* / pharmacology
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3* / therapeutic use
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Lung Injury* / drug therapy
  • Lung Injury* / etiology
  • Mice
  • Particulate Matter / toxicity

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Particulate Matter
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid

Grants and funding

This work was supported financially by the National Key R&D Program of China, grant number 2019YFB1309703 and 2021YFA1201204, and Beijing Natural Science Foundation, grant number 2182089.