Effects of acute or chronic omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid treatment on behavioral, neuroendocrine and cytokine changes elicited by exogenous interleukin-1beta challenge.

Chronic omega-3 or omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3; n-6 respectively) treatment attenuated human interleukin-1beta (hIL-1beta; 5.0 microg/kg)-elicited rise of circulating ACTH levels and attenuated the sickness behavior and locomotor suppression elicited by the cytokine. Furthermore, hIL-1beta markedly elevated circulating levels of plasma IL-6, an effect attenuated by n-3, but not n-6 treatment. Such protective effects were not evident upon short-term (3 day) n-3 exposure. These results demonstrate that long-term administration of either n-3 or n-6 confers protection against several neuroendocrinological, immunological and behavioral actions of hIL-1beta challenge, although in general the effects of n-3 were more pronounced.