(1) Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University, 00168 Rome;(2) Department of Biology, I or Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy;(3) Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University, Lgo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
Abstract:
Supplementation with low doses of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) or docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid was used here to investigate changes
in epithelial proliferation’ differentiation’ and apoptosis in normal rat colonic mucosa. ACI/T rats received by oral administration
low doses of purified EPA or DHA ethyl esters (1g/kg body weight) and colonic mucosa was analyzed for cell proliferation’
differentiation’ and apoptosis. n−3 Polyunsaturated fatty acid incorporation into membrane phospholipids was investigated
as reflections of fatty acid metabolism. Both EPA and DHA suppressed colonocyle proliferation and increased the numbers of
differentiating and apoptotic cells without modification of the crypt morphology and the number of cells per crypt columns.
A significant incorporation of the supplemented fatty acids into total phospholipids was observed. This enrichment was accompanied
by a decreased content in arachidonic acid. The observation that EPA and DHA do not alter crypt morphology although they modify
cell turnover in normal colonic mucosa suggests a possible use of these fatty acids as dietary chemopreventive agents.