Beneficial effect of an omega-6 PUFA-rich diet in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced mucosal damage in the murine small intestine

AIM: To investigate the effect of a fat rich diet onnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug(NSAID)-induced mucosal damage in the murine small intestine.METHODS: C57BL6 mice were fed 4 types of diets with or without indomethacin.One group was fed standard laboratory chow.The other groups were fed a fat diet consisting of 8% w/w fat,beef tallow(rich in SFA),fish oil,(rich in omega-3 PUFA),or safflower oil(rich in omega-6 PUFA).Indomethacin(3 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally from day 8 to day 10.On day 11,intestines and adhesions to submucosal microvessels were examined.RESULTS: In the indomethacin-treated groups,mucosal damage was exacerbated by diets containing beef tallow and fish oil,and was accompanied by leukocyte infiltration(P < 0.05).The mucosal damage induced by indomethacin was significantly lower in mice fed the safflower oil diet than in mice fed the beef tallow or fish oil diet(P < 0.05).Indomethacin increased monocyte and platelet migration to the intestinal mucosa,whereas safflower oil significantly decreased monocyte and platelet recruitment(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: A diet rich in SFA and omega-3 PUFA exacerbated NSAID-induced small intestinal damage via increased leukocyte infiltration.Importantly,a diet rich in omega-6-PUFA did not aggravate inflammation as monocyte migration was blocked.