Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 4, Issue 11, 2000

Dietary n-3 fatty acids and calorie restriction are well known immunomodulatory nutrients. Recent data from our laboratory has shown that combining n-3 fatty acids and calorie restriction is more potent at delaying autoimmune disease in mice than either dietary regimen alone. Interestingly, autoimmune disease has some unique effects on lymphocyte subsets and Th-1 (inter-leukin-2, interferon-g) and Th-2 (inter Read More

The consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with reduced morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease. The precise mechanisms by which fatty acids modulate atherosclerotic vascular disease remain to be defined. Experimental evidence suggests that fatty acids alter the function of the vascular endothelium, a metabolically active tissue that integrates signals between the circulation an Read More

The data presented in this review describe consistent and reproducible beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids on bone metabolism and bone/joint disease. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modulate eicosanoid biosynthesis in numerous tissues and cell types, alter signal transduction, and influence gene expression. The effect of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiovascular disease, certain cancer and bone/join Read More

Epidemiological studies of Greenland Eskimos and Japanese have suggested that eating fish oil and marine animals can prevent heart disease. The beneficial effects of fish oils are attributed to their omega 3-fatty acid (O3Fa) content, particularly, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 6n-3). DHA and EPA in the diet influence the fatty acid composition of plasma membrane phospholipids i Read More

It is now well accepted that colon cancer evolves from a multi-step process and is a disease strongly influenced by environmental factors, with diet being one of the most important modifying agents. Among dietary factors, there is cogent evidence indicating a protective effect of fish oil feeding with respect to colonic tumor development. We have recently demonstrated that the balance between colonic epithelial cell proliferatio Read More

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 6Delta4,7,10,13,16,19) is the longest chain and most unsaturated fatty acid commonly found in biological systems (1). It represents the extreme example of the important class of fatty acids known as omega-3s. Primarily through dietary studies, this fatty acid has been linked to an enormous variety of human afflictions including cancer (2, 3), heart disease (4), rheumatoid arthritis (5), lupus (6), Read More

Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a variety of health benefits from normal neurologic development and vision, to heart disease, arthritis and cancer. The Omega3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in particular accumulates in biological membranes and there may serve either structural or substrate functions. Proteins resident in or associated with membranes are likely to be influenced by changes in their lipid environment. Read More