Sea-cod oil supplementation alters the course of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in BALB/c mice

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 393 - 400
• Main Authors: Saini, A, Harjai, K, Chhibber, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-03-2011; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Load - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cardiovascular disease; Catheters; Cytokines; Cytokines - analysis; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - administration & dosage; Fish Oils - administration & dosage; Gadiformes; Human bacterial diseases; Immune response; Infectious diseases; Inflammation Mediators - analysis; Internal Medicine; Leukotriene B4 - analysis; Lung - chemistry; Lung - immunology; Lung - microbiology; Lungs; Malondialdehyde - analysis; Medical Microbiology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mortality; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - analysis; Peroxidase - metabolism; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - drug therapy; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - immunology; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - metabolism; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - microbiology; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Respiratory tract; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - isolation & purification; India; Infected Mouse; LTB4; Lung Homogenate; Nitric Oxide; Pneumococcal Pneumonia; Microbiology; Rodentia; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Infection; Streptococcaceae; Streptococcus C; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Streptococcal infection; Animal; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Pneumococcal infection
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-010-1099-4

The existing reports on the role of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in infectious diseases are contradictory. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sea-cod oil on the course of respiratory tract infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae in BALB/c mice. Animals were given enteral sea-cod oil for a period of 30 and 60 days and challenged intra-tracheally with S. pneumoniae D39 serotype 2. The survival of animals and various inflammatory parameters, i.e. myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and leukotriene B₄ in the lung homogenates, were investigated. The inflammatory cytokines levels (IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-10) were also determined. Continuous sea-cod oil supplementation for 60 days significantly improved survival among the animals. A significant reduction in the bacterial load in the lungs of sea-cod oil-fed animals compared to the controls was observed. As the disease progressed, the reduced bacterial colonisation correlated well with the histopathological observation. This was accompanied by a decrease in the production of inflammatory mediators and cytokines in the lung homogenates. However, not even a minor difference was seen in animals given sea-cod oil supplementation for 30 days duration; therefore, long-term treatment was required to attain an effect. Sea-cod oil supplementation modulated the host immune response and, thus, protected the host from ensuing inflammatory damage due to S. pneumoniae-mediated infection.