Metabolic syndrome, especially its component related to dyslipidemia, is related to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a disease with a significant global prevalence. Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids emerged as a complementary therapeutic possibility for dyslipidemia, but its benefits are questioned. This paper aims at evaluating the effects of fish oil supplementation in rats with hypercholesterolemia induced by hypercholesterolemic diet (HD). The study design is based on an experimental model in which the animals were randomly divided into 3 groups: G1 (standard commercial feed + saline solution); G2 (hypercholesterolemic diet + saline solution) and G3 (hypercholesterolemic diet + fish oil) over a period of 16 weeks. Metabolic control parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated according to standardized methodologies. The G3 group showed significantly lower values of plasma concentrations of TG, and hepatic myeloperoxidase as well as higher erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity (p < 0.05). Regarding histopathological analysis, there was lipid accumulation in the liver of animals from group G2; meanwhile, hepatocytes reorganization and expressive reduction of lipid vacuoles and hepatic TG content was observed in group G3. This study demonstrated how fish oil supplementation reduced the plasma concentration and hepatic content of triglycerides, as well as liver tissue damage in histopathological analysis.

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Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease associated with abnormalities of vascular functions. The consumption of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids can be considered a strategy to reduce clinical events related to atherosclerosis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of supplementation with 310 mg of ω-3 PUFAs (2:1 eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acids) for 56 days on rats with hypercholesterolemia induced by a diet containing cholesterol (0.1%), cholic acid (0.5%), and egg yolk. Serum biochemical parameters were determined by the enzymatic colorimetric method. Assessment of vascular effects was performed by analysis of histological sections of the heart and aortic arch stained with hematoxylin and eosin and vascular reactivity of the aorta artery. We observed that treatment with ω-3 PUFAs did not promote alterations in lipid profile. On the other hand, we documented a favorable reduction in liver biomarkers, as well as contributions to the preservation of heart and aortic arch morphologies. Interestingly, the vascular reactivity of rat thoracic aortic preparations was improved after treatment with ω-3 PUFAs, with a decrease in hyperreactivity to phenylephrine and increased vasorelaxation promoted by acetylcholine. Our findings suggest that the supplementation of hypercholesterolemic rats with ω-3 PUFAs promoted improvement in liver and vascular endothelial function as well as preserving heart and aortic tissue, reinforcing the early health benefits of ω-3 PUFAs in the development of atherosclerotic plaque and further related events.

O estudo propõe o desenvolvimento e a avaliação de formulações tópicas à base de manteiga da semente do bacuri (P. insignis Mart.) e do seu potencial cicatrizante em lesões cutâneas induzidas pela infecção com Leishmania amazonensis em modelo experimental murino. Para isso, realizou-se a obtenção tecnológica de 3 formulações tópicas, veiculadas em Pluronic® Lecithin Organogel (P.L.O.): uma contendo extrato hexânico das sementes do bacuri 5% (FBBU), outra contendo manteiga de bacuri industrializada 5% (FBBI) e uma terceira formulação livre de manteiga (FLBB). Em seguida, realizou-se a avaliação da estabilidade preliminar e acelerada, analisando-se parâmetros como: características organolépticas, determinação da espalhabilidade, resistência à centrifugação, pH e tamanho de gotícula. Por fim, foi avaliada a atividade antileishmania in vivo das formulações utilizando-se camundongos fêmeas, da espécie Mus musculus, linhagem BALB/c, infectados na região da base da cauda com promastigotas em fase estacionária. As formulações mostraram-se estáveis em todos os ensaios, havendo variação apenas na espalhabilidade (aumento) e na viscosidade (redução) após estresse. No tratamento do modelo experimental, o desenvolvimento clínico da doença nos animais deu-se conforme o descrito na literatura e pôde-se observar redução significativa no diâmetro das úlceras dos animais tratados com as formulações contendo a manteiga, comparadas à FLBB. Portanto, foi possível o desenvolvimento de uma formulação de uso tópico, a partir das manteigas do bacuri, reprodutível e com resultados de estabilidade satisfatórios. As formulações apresentaram potencial antileishmania relevante comparados à FLBB, indicando grande potencial da atividade da P. insignis Mart. para o tratamento da leishmaniose cutânea.

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