Davidson Eric, Obrosov Oleksandr, Coppey Lawrence, Yorek Mark
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Department of Veterans Affairs Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2025 Aug 8;18:2709-2721. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S522285. eCollection 2025.
To answer the question what is the best source or composition of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that will provide the most favorable and safe outcome for peripheral neuropathy (PN) in an animal model of obesity? Traditionally encapsulated fish oil is the primary source of omega-3 PUFA as a nutritional supplement. However, other sources exist that could be a better environmental, safety, and/or economic choice.
Male Sprague Dawley rats 12 weeks of age were fed a 45% kcal diet to induce obesity and model pre-diabetes. Early and late intervention protocols were used to determine the ability of omega-3 PUFA derived from menhaden (fish) oil, krill oil, algal oils, or ethyl esters to slow the progression or reverse PN associated with pre-diabetes by examining multiple endpoints of sensory nerve function, morphometry and vascular reactivity. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the primary omega-3 PUFA, and a combination exist in fish and krill oil. However, algal oils and ethyl esters are available as EPA, DHA, or EPA & DHA and each were used in this study.
We report that multiple sources of omega-3 PUFA are a proactive treatment for PN that occurs with pre-diabetes including improvement in sensory nerve conduction velocity, thermal nociception and cornea sensitivity and corneal nerve fiber length. Improvement in vascular reactivity of epineurial arterioles of the sciatic nerve was observed. We also report that EPA and DHA had different outcomes for these endpoints.
We confirm that omega-3 PUFA are an effective treatment to prevent and reverse PN associated with obesity and pre-diabetes. Additional studies will be needed to definitively determine what would be the best and most consistent source of this important nutritional supplement from an environmental and economical viewpoint.
回答在肥胖动物模型中，哪种ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）来源或成分能为周围神经病变（PN）带来最有利且安全的结果？传统的胶囊鱼油是作为营养补充剂的ω-3 PUFA的主要来源。然而，还存在其他来源，可能是更好的环境、安全和/或经济选择。
给12周龄的雄性斯普拉格-道利大鼠喂食45%千卡的饮食以诱导肥胖并模拟糖尿病前期。采用早期和晚期干预方案，通过检查感觉神经功能、形态学和血管反应性的多个终点，来确定源自鲱鱼油、磷虾油、藻油或乙酯的ω-3 PUFA减缓与糖尿病前期相关的PN进展或逆转PN的能力。二十碳五烯酸（EPA）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）是主要的ω-3 PUFA，它们同时存在于鱼油和磷虾油中。然而，藻油和乙酯有EPA、DHA或EPA&DHA形式，本研究中均有使用。
我们报告，多种ω-3 PUFA来源是对糖尿病前期发生的PN的积极治疗方法，包括感觉神经传导速度、热痛觉和角膜敏感性以及角膜神经纤维长度的改善。观察到坐骨神经神经外膜小动脉的血管反应性有所改善。我们还报告，EPA和DHA在这些终点上有不同的结果。
我们证实ω-3 PUFA是预防和逆转与肥胖及糖尿病前期相关的PN的有效治疗方法。从环境和经济角度明确确定这种重要营养补充剂的最佳和最稳定来源还需要进一步研究。
