New dampening effects of omega 3 supplements show further benefits

25 Aug 2017 --- Omega 3 fatty acids, primarily obtained through eating fatty fish, have long been thought to be good for our health due to a connection with a reduced risk of various disorders like heart disease and anti-inflammatory benefits. Recent research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) now supports previous discoveries and has also found new, useful effects of omega 3 supplements and how these lipids dampen harmful inflammatory reactions in the body.

The work, being published by Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Mildenberger and colleagues, points out that by studying macrophages isolated from mice and humans, researchers found that the omega 3 fatty acids activated the autophagy and specifically affected some proteins that transform the signals from the environment.

Furthermore, it was found that omega 3 fatty acids dampened many inflammatory mechanisms within the macrophages, but especially reduced what is known as the type 1 interferon response. The results of this study are being published in the journal Autophagy.

Macrophages and autophagy
Macrophages, which are immune cells that live in all tissues and organs, play a key role in coordinating inflammatory reactions in the body and monitor everything that happens in tissues. The macrophages convert the information they obtain through various sensors or receptors on their surface to secretion of various hormone-like signal substances that control all parts of inflammatory reactions.

It has become increasingly clear that macrophages can be more or less potent in activating inflammatory reactions, the NTNU press release points out. So-called sterile inflammatory reactions, such as autoimmune diseases, are often directly harmful.

The ability of macrophages to stimulate inflammatory reactions is said to depend on processes within the macrophage, such as autophagy.

Autophagy is one of the processes within macrophages that is important for whether a macrophage is calm or hyperactive. Autophagy (meaning “self-eating”) is a key process for degradation of dysfunctional or unnecessary proteins and other components within cells.

In the last few years, people have learned a lot about how important this process is, say the researchers. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2016 was given to Yoshinori Ohsumi for his discovery of the key genes that control autophagy.

Autophagy is constantly going on in all cells and increases if the cells are starving or injured. The researchers hypothesized that omega 3 fatty acids could dampen inflammatory reactions by elevating autophagy in macrophages. If so, it was surmised that this effect might change the signal transformation in the macrophage and as a result, suppress activation of inflammatory reactions.

Supplements work
The factor CXCL-10, which macrophages secrete as part of the type 1 interferon response following many types of stimuli, was found to be the most clearly reduced factor after adding omega 3 to the cells.

Researchers then examined blood samples from a clinical study in cardiac transplant patients where it was known that omega 3 supplements improved their clinical status. In these cases, researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids reduced the level of CXCL-10.

Autophagy was thus found to change in macrophages in response to omega 3 fatty acids. It also specifically inhibits the secretion of inflammatory factors that belong to the interferon response, with CXCL-10 showing the clearest reduction.

The findings indicate that omega 3 fatty acid supplements may be particularly beneficial in patients who have conditions that are driven or aggravated by a strong interferon response and CXCL-10.

The research group hopes that the results will one day will benefit patients with different forms of cancer, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or jaundice. But it says it “must emphasize that a lot of work remains.”

Effects still not fully known
Despite numerous published dietary and clinical studies, the researchers point out that we still don’t fully understand how omega 3 fatty acids affect our cells and if this varies from person to person, between healthy and ill individuals, or whether the mechanism of action varies in different tissues and cells.

What we are most sure of, according to the researchers, is that omega-3 fatty acids can dampen inflammatory reactions. Inflammatory reactions are very important in combating infections, but they can be harmful if activated too strongly or in the absence of bacteria and viruses, like in autoimmune diseases and organ transplants.

The work was conducted at CEMIR and at NTNU’s Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science in the Faculty of Natural Science. In addition, researchers in St. Louis, US carried out important sub studies. The blood tests were from a clinical trial conducted at Oslo University Hospital. Article author Geir Bjørkøy is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science at NTNU, while fellow article author Jennifer Mildenberger works for NTNU-Cemir.