Scope
Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA may improve cardiometabolic health through modulation of innate immunity; however, findings in clinical studies are conflicting. We hypothesized that n-3 PUFA supplementation would dose-dependently reduce the systemic inflammatory response to experimental endotoxemia in healthy humans.
Methods and Results
The Fenofibrate and omega-3 Fatty Acid Modulation of Endotoxemia (FFAME) study was an 8-week randomized double-blind trial of placebo or n-3 PUFA supplementation (Lovaza 465mg EPA + 375mg DHA) at “low” (1/day, 900mg) or “high” (4/day, 3,600mg) dose in healthy individuals (N=60; age 18–45; BMI 18–30; 43% Female; 65% European-, 20% African-, 15% Asian-ancestry) before a low-dose endotoxin challenge (LPS 0.6ng/kg intravenous bolus). The endotoxemia-induced temperature increase was significantly reduced with high-dose (P =0.03) but not low-dose EPA+DHA compared to placebo. Although there was no statistically significant impact of EPA+DHA on individual inflammatory responses (TNFα, IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1RA, IL-10, CRP, SAA), there was a pattern of lower responses across all biomarkers with high-dose (9 of 9 observed), but not low-dose EPA+DHA.
Conclusions
EPA+DHA at 3,600mg/day, but not 900mg/day, reduced fever and had a pattern of attenuated LPS-induction of plasma inflammatory markers during endotoxemia. Clinically and nutritionally relevant long-chain n-3 PUFA regimens may have specific, dose-dependent, anti-inflammatory actions.