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Adipocyte and Cell Biology

Anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil in human adipose tissue

International Journal of Obesity volume 45, page 2288 (2021)Cite this article

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We read with interest the article by Hernandez et al. [1] describing a positive effect of fish oil n3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation on insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in 13 obese subjects. In addition to this positive metabolic effect, n3 PUFA influenced adipose tissue inflammation, as documented by the plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines and adipokine together with local adipose tissue inflammatory markers. The changes in individual free fatty acid concentrations in plasma (analyzed at the start, at 1 and 2 months, and at the end of the experimental period) documented a gradual increase in desoxypentaenoate and eicosopentaenoate acids concentrations whereas palmitate and palmitoleate acids concentrations gradually decreased. Despite the relatively large variation in pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in plasma and adipose tissue, all these parameters displayed an anti-inflammatory pattern at the systemic as well as local levels. In line with this, also the expression of selected genes (measured by mRNA expression) confirmed the anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil supplementation. An opposite effect was documented in plasma apoE concentrations as well as apoE gene expression in the same adipose tissue. The authors concluded that apoE modulation is the principle of anti-inflammatory PUFA supplementation.

We recently published [2] data related to inflammation of human adipose tissue obtained by cleansing the kidney of living kidney donors (LKDs) during transplantation. In our study, samples of visceral adipose tissue of 43 LKDs were analyzed. The proportion of pro-inflammatory macrophages measured by flow cytometry (CD14 + CD16 + CD36high, varying from 15 to 65%) was significantly linked to differences in the proportions of individual fatty acids in phospholipids of cell membranes (measured by GLC). Specifically, the proportions of palmitic and palmitooleic acids correlated positively with that of pro-inflammatory macrophages, whereas a negative correlation with α-linolenic and eicosopentaenic acids was found, and the same association was observed for the n3 PUFA to n3/n6 ratio. Interestingly, the proportion of pro-inflammatory macrophages reflected the current diet of our LKD subjects. The dietary score (increasing with low vegetable fat proportion and low omega3 fatty acid consumption) correlated positively with the proportion of pro-inflammatory macrophages in visceral adipose tissue.

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References

  1. Hernandez JD, Li T, Rau CA, LeSuer WE, Wang P, Coletta DK, et al. ω-3PUFA supplementation ameliorates adipose tissue inflammation and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in subjects with obesity: a potential role for apolipoprotein E. Int J Obes. 2021;45:1331–41.

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  2. Poledne R, Malinska H, Kubatova H, Fronek J, Thieme F, Kauerova S, et al. Polarization of macrophages in human adipose tissue is related to the fatty acid spectrum in membrane phospholipids. Nutrients. 2019;12:8 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010008.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Centre for Experimental Medicine, Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research, Prague, Czech Republic

    R. Poledne & I. Kralova Lesna

  2. Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University and University Military Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

    I. Kralova Lesna

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  1. R. Poledne
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  2. I. Kralova Lesna
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Correspondence to R. Poledne or I. Kralova Lesna.

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Poledne, R., Kralova Lesna, I. Anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil in human adipose tissue. Int J Obes 45, 2288 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-00889-0

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