Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Skeletal Health¹

Abstract

This mlnlreview on skeletal biology describes the actions of prostaglandins and cytoklnes Involved in the local regulation of bone metabolism, it documents the role of lipids In bone biology,andIt presents relationships between fattyacids andother factors that Impact skeletal metabolism. The data presented herein show consistent and reproducible beneficial effects of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids on bone metabolism and boneJjolnt diseases. Polyunsaturated fattyacidsmodulate eicosanoid biosynthesis In numerous tissues andcelltypes, altersignal transduction, and Influence geneexpression. These effects havenot been explored In the skeletal system. Future research on n-a fatty acids In bone biology should focus on the following two aspects. First, the further elucidation of hown-3fattyacidsalter biochemical and molecular processes Involved In bonemodel-Ing and bonecell differentiation, and second, the evaluation of the potential pharmaceutical applications of thesenutraceutlcal fatty acids In maintaining bone minerai status and controlling Inflammatory bone/joint diseases.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: Selected mechanisms of action on bone

“…Key mechanisms relate to reduction in PGE 2 synthesis along with suppression of inflammatory cytokines [29]. Thus diets enriched in GLA through PGE 1 synthesis, without enhancement of AA, the precursor of PGE 2 , also are beneficial to bone [8].…”

“…PUFAs also increase alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in growing male rats as well as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) levels ( [28][29][30]. Both n-6 and n-3 PUFAs seem to be required for growth.…”

“…During the past 10 years several authors have reviewed various studies investigating the effects of PUFAs on bone health in animals [11,24,29,[33][34][35][36][37]. However, few studies in humans have been done despite the strong evidence gleaned from work on animal models.…”

Dietary fat intake and the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly

“…In addition, oleic acid is an inhibitor of prostaglandin PGE2 synthesis, the major prostaglandin involved in bone metabolism (de La Puerta Vázquez et al, 2004). Normal or moderate levels of PGE2 support bone formation, whereas greater quantities promote bone resorption (Watkins et al, 2001).…”

Diet and hip fractures among elderly Europeans in the EPIC cohort

“…Fish (especially dark meat fish) constitute good sources of calcium (especially when edible bones are consumed) and vitamin D. Moreover, they are rich in o-3 fatty acids. Recent studies have provided evidence for a beneficial role of o-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, on bone health and the prevention of bone/joint diseases (Watkins et al, 2001;Manek and Connor, 2007). The evidence points to an attenuation of bone loss through inhibition of cytokine formation and consequently suppression of osteoclast activation (Sun et al, 2003).…”