The n–6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid, is a precursor of prostaglandins, leukotrienes and related compounds that have important roles as mediators and regulators of inflammation. Consuming increased amounts of long chain n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in oily fish and fish oils) results in a partial replacement of the arachidonic acid in cell membranes by eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. This leads to decreased production of arachidonic acid-derived mediators. This alone is a potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of n–3 fatty acids. However, n–3 fatty acids have a number of other effects that might occur downstream of altered eicosanoid production or are independent of this. For example, they result in suppressed production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and can modulate adhesion molecule expression. These effects occur at the level of altered gene expression.
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April 2005
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Conference Article|
April 01 2005
Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammation
P.C. Calder
P.C. Calder
1
1Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, U.K.
1email pcc@soton.ac.uk
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
November 01 2004
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2005 The Biochemical Society
2005
Biochem Soc Trans (2005) 33 (2): 423–427.
Article history
Received:
November 01 2004
Citation
P.C. Calder; Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammation. Biochem Soc Trans 1 April 2005; 33 (2): 423–427. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0330423
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