gamma-linolenic-acid and Glomerulonephritis

The development of abnormalities in red blood cell (RBC) deformability in patients undergoing hemodialysis remains a major problem, because it is related to peripheral microcirculation, oxygen supply, and various complications in such patients. gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA; 18:3n-6), one of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and a precursor of prostaglandin E(1), is reported to have a favorable effect on the deformability of circulating blood cells in diabetic patients.. In order to clarify the efficacy of GLA on RBC deformability in 7 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, we examined in a pilot study the changes in the deformability of RBC and the changes in the phospholipid fatty acid composition in both plasma and RBC membrane before and after high-dose oral supplementation with GLA derived from Mucor circinelloides for 12 weeks.. Before supplementation, the micropore passage time of RBC suspension, which is an indicator of RBC deformability, in these patients was markedly longer than that in healthy control subjects. After administering GLA, the prolonged passage time of the patients both rapidly and steadily decreased and nearly reached control levels. Light microscopic observations of RBCs using Giemsa stain revealed a decreased number of poikilocytes after supplementation. An analysis of the fatty acid composition before treatment and 8 weeks after starting the treatment showed the dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA; 20:3n-6) level in the plasma to have increased (p < 0.05), while the arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4n-6) concentration in the RBC membrane decreased (p < 0.05). The level of DGLA in the RBC membrane, the level of GLA, and the ratio of GLA + DGLA/AA in plasma and RBC membrane did not change significantly; however, these all tended to increase.. The results of this pilot study indicate that the oral supplementation of GLA extracted from M. circinelloides improves the poor RBC deformability in hemodialysis patients, partly by inducing changes in the composition of fatty acids in plasma and RBC membrane.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Dietary Supplements; Erythrocyte Deformability; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Glomerulonephritis; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Middle Aged; Mucor; Renal Dialysis

Repeated subcutaneous (SC) injections of mercuric chloride (MC) in Brown Norway (BN) rats induce an autoimmune glomerulonephritis (GN) due to antiglomerular basement membrane (BM) antibody deposition in the glomeruli. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on MC-induced autoimmune GN of OKY-046, a selective TXA-synthetase inhibitor herring oil (HO), which is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (5.6%) precursor of the three series of prostaglandins (PGs) and of (inactive) thromboxane (TXA3), and evening primrose oil (EPO), which is rich in linoleic acid (LA) (72%) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLNA) (9%), precursors of the one series of PGs, mainly PGE1, and of (inactive) TXA1. The administration of OKY-046 significantly inhibited proteinuria, partially prevented fibrin thrombi (FT) formation in the glomeruli, decreased urinary TXB, enhanced 6ketoPGF excretion and, increased survival rate of the animals from 60% (group receiving only MC) to 86%. However, OKY-046 did not prevent body weight (BW) loss or the development and deposition of IgG in the glomeruli. Increased intake of HO (80 days prior and throughout the experiment) and avoidance of arachidonic acid (AA) intake produced an effect comparable to that of OKY-046 in the rats. Furthermore, HO significantly inhibited the deposition of IgG in the glomeruli, increased the survival rate of the animals to 100% and further enhanced the increased urinary PGE excretion induced by MC. However, HO did not prevent BW loss in the animals. Increased intake of EPO and avoidance of AA intake produced an effect comparable to that of HO. Additionally, EPO completely prevented BW loss induced by MC in these animals. These findings suggest that the metabolites of AA, EPA and GLNA play an important role either in the development or in the modulation of this model of MC induced GN.

Topics: 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; Acrylates; Animals; Autoimmune Diseases; Fatty Acids, Essential; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Fish Oils; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Glomerulonephritis; Hypolipidemic Agents; Immunoglobulin G; Linoleic Acids; Mercuric Chloride; Methacrylates; Oenothera biennis; Plant Oils; Prostaglandins E; Proteinuria; Rats; Thromboxane-A Synthase; Thromboxanes