Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are reported to resolve chronic inflammation in asthma and other lung diseases. This study aimed to accelerate the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) into lung tissue through the coapplication of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which enhance the fat-metabolic rate.
Female C57BL/6 mice were supplemented with either 1363,6 mg EPA or 1363,6 mg EPA and MCFAs at 30% of the total fat per kg body weight per day for 28 days (each group size: n=21). The resorption of EPA into the peripheral blood and lung tissue was monitored over 63 days including the wash-out phase.
In the peripheral blood plasma and clots the supplementation with EPA always led to higher EPA concentrations than the administration of EPA with MCFAs pointing to a preferred EPA incorporation into tissues induced by MCFAs (EPA in plasma at day 26: EPA 12.33 wt% ± 1.41; EPA and MCFAs 3.91 wt% ± 0.32; Δ 8.42; p< 0.001; EPA in clots at day 26: EPA 16.44 wt% ± 1.82; EPA and MCFAs 4.47 wt% ± 1.26; Δ 11.97; p< 0.001). In the lung tissue the EPA-incorporation at day 26 was increased by MCFAs compared to the EPA-administration alone (EPA in lung tissue at day 26: EPA 1.28 wt% ± 0.18; EPA and MCFAs 1.83 wt% ± 0.17; Δ 0.55; p< 0.01).
The present study recommends the use of dietary LCPUFA supplementation with MCFAs to support their incorporation into lung tissues.