Fish Oil Reduces Hepatic Injury by Maintaining Normal Intestinal Permeability and Microbiota in Chronic Ethanol-Fed Rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of fish oil on hepatic injury in ethanol-fed rats based on the intestinal permeability and microbiota. Rats were assigned to 6 groups and fed either a control diet or an ethanol diet such as C (control), CF25 (control with 25% fish oil), CF57 (control with 57% fish oil), E (ethanol), EF25 (ethanol with 25% fish oil), and EF57 (ethanol with 57% fish oil) groups. Rats were sacrificed at the end of 8 weeks. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and aminotransferase (ALT) activities, hepatic cytokines, and plasma endotoxin levels were significantly higher in the E group. In addition, hepatic histopathological analysis scores in the E group were significantly elevated. Rats in the E group also showed increased intestinal permeability and decreased numbers of fecal Bifidobacterium. However, plasma AST and ALT activities and hepatic cytokine levels were significantly lower in the EF25 and EF57 groups. Histological changes and intestinal permeability were also improved in the EF25 and EF57 groups. The fecal Escherichia coli numbers were significantly lower, but fecal Bifidobacterium numbers were significantly higher in the EF25 and EF57 groups.

Different Dietary Proportions of Fish Oil Regulate Inflammatory Factors but Do Not Change Intestinal Tight Junction ZO-1 Expression in Ethanol-Fed Rats

“…Similar to our previous studies, the average ethanol intake was 11.1~11.4 g/kg BW/day in the ethanol-intake groups, which would be comparable to heavy drinkers in humans (more than 50~60 g/day of absolute alcohol) after conversion of animal doses to a human equivalent based on body surface areas [ 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Thus, there were six groups in this study: C (control), CF25 (control with 25% fish oil), CF57 (control with 57% fish oil), E (ethanol), EF25 (ethanol with 25% fish oil), and EF57 (ethanol with 57% fish oil). Rats in groups E, EF25, and EF57 were fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet (35% of calories from ethanol) which was modified from Lieber-DeCarli formula [ 19 ], while rats in groups C, CF25, and CF57 were pair-fed with an isoenergetic diet without ethanol by substituting ethanol-derived calories with maltodextrin [ 16 ]. One gram of fish oil (VIVA Omega-3 ™ ) which was provided by Viva Life Science (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) contains 350 mg EPA and 250 mg DHA.…”

“…One gram of fish oil (VIVA Omega-3 ™ ) which was provided by Viva Life Science (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) contains 350 mg EPA and 250 mg DHA. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)/PUFA ratios of the diets without fish oil and with 25% and 57% fish oil substitutions were 0.4, 0.7, and 1.5, respectively [ 16 ].…”

“…Fish oil contains abundant levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are known as n-3 PUFAs. Based on a majority of studies, fish oil (or n-3 PUFAs) is considered to have beneficial effects, including immune regulation, vascular protection, and lipid metabolism modulation [ 16 – 18 ]. However, few studies have discussed the relationship between fish oil and ALD, particularly those focused on intestinal integrity.…”

Dietary Factors as Triggers of Low-Grade Chronic Intestinal Inflammation in Poultry

“…However, the lipid profile and oil or fat quality can have an impact on the overall health of the birds while also influencing the intestine. For example, fish oil, which contains a good quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids, has been shown to have benefits on growth performance and gut health [52]. However, fish oils are easily oxidized since oxygen affects the double bond in the fatty acids [53,54] and if oxidized, fish oil can then become hazardous to the bird.…”