A new study carried out by Michigan State University (USA) suggests that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid of the omega-3 series, present in fish oil and in dietary supplements , has the potential to prevent lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common form of the disease , accounting for about 70% of all cases where the skin is usually the most affected area, followed by the brain, kidneys, and lungs.
There are a number of environmental factors that are believed to trigger lupus in vulnerable individuals. One of these factors is exposure to crystalline silica that can occur in mining, metallurgy, paint, marble, ceramics … prolonged inhalation of chemical compounds that contain this natural compound increase the risk of developing the disease that, in addition , was classified as a carcinogen after demonstrating an increased risk of lung cancer.
“ Cells in the lung can engulf the silica particles, but it is so toxic that it destroys these cells. When they die, signals are sent to the immune system that something is wrong. Then the body produces such a strong response that it starts targeting healthy cells, ”explains study co-author Jack Harkema.
The researchers wanted to explore whether DHA (one of the three main forms of Omega-3 fatty acids) could offer some protection against the toxic effects of crystalline silica. To do this, the researchers used female mice that were genetically predisposed to developing lupus. The mice were randomly assigned to different diets: a diet containing 0.4% DHA, another with 1.2%, another with 2.4% DHA, or a control diet. The DHA diets were equivalent to human diets containing 2, 6, or 12 grams of DHA per day.
After 2 weeks, all groups were exposed to 1 milligram of crystalline silica once a week for 4 weeks and the experiment lasted for 12 weeks. After this time, the scientists found that mice fed 1.2% and 2.4% DHA had significantly fewer lung lesions than those fed the control diet.
“ 96% of lung lesions stopped with DHA after being triggered by silica particles. I have never seen such a dramatic protective response in the lung before, ” says Harkema.
The study has been published in the journal PloS One.
