Experimental research on stimulation of wound healing by n-3 fatty acids

Objexctive. The objective of this study was to investigate the wound healing effects of n-3 fatty acids and to identify factors that stimulate wound healing. Materials and Methods. Four-week-old male Wistar rats were subjected to full-thickness skin wounds and assigned to 3 experimental diet groups (an n-3 fatty acid-fortified diet, a diet with a 1:3 ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids, and an n-6 fatty acid-fortified diet). Intergroup comparisons were conducted for the changes in wound areas, the number of days to wound healing, and blood cytokines, blood hydroxyproline, and blood chemistry test values on the day before and after wound healing. Results. The number of days to wound healing in the n-3/n-6 fatty acid group (18.4 ± 1.8 days) was significantly shorter than in the n-3 fatty acid-fortified diet (21.6 ± 1.6 days) and n-6 fatty acid-fortified diet groups (21.9 ± 1.8 days). This suggests that the n-3/n-6 fatty acid diet stimulates wound healing (P < 0.05). Changes in wound area, however, were not significantly different. The n-3 fatty acid-fortified diet was found to have potent immunopotentiating and anti-inflammatory effects in the group receiving this diet, as evidenced by total blood lymphocyte count and plasma levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and sialic acid on day 1 after wounding. The plasma hydroxyproline concentrations noted in the groups with a diet containing n-3 fatty acids indicate that this fatty acid type stimulates wound healing. Conclusions. Findings suggest that n-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory and immunopotentiating effects, and are beneficial in the wound healing process, particularly during early inflammation.