Combined effects of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids on protecting ambient PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injury in rats

Chemosphere. 2017 Apr:173:14-21. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.042. Epub 2017 Jan 8.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to observe whether the combined treatment with vitamin E (vit E) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω-3 FA) could prevent the fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-induced cardiovascular injury through alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress. At the same time, the appropriate combination dosage of vit E and Ω-3 FA was explored to find an optimized protective dose to protect the injury induced by PM2.5.

Methods: The SD rats were pretreated with different concentration of vit E and Ω-3 FA separately or jointly. Then the rats were exposed to ambient PM2.5 by intratracheal instillation for three times. The expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum and supernatant of cardiac tissue were detected by ELISA kits. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) in myocardium and the level of MDA in serum were measured. Meanwhile, the cardiac injury was evaluated by histopathological examination.

Results: Compared with the severe injury of rats in PM2.5 exposure group, the rats in vit E or Ω-3 FA-pretreated groups had a slighter injury in heart. Meanwhile, pretreatment with vit E or Ω-3 FA induced a significantly alleviation of the inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and the elevation of the anti-oxidative activity especially in the rats pretreated with combined vit E and Ω-3 FA. In addition, the combined protecting effects of vit E and Ω-3 FA showed a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion: Supplementation with vit E and Ω-3 FA could protect the PM2.5-induced injury, and the combination of vit E and Ω-3 FA might produce more effective effects than the separate nutrient did.

Keywords: Fine particulate matter; Inflammation; Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; Oxidative stress; Vitamin E.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / toxicity
  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / chemically induced
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / pharmacology*
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Particulate Matter / toxicity*
  • Protective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Vitamin E / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Antioxidants
  • Cytokines
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Interleukin-6
  • Particulate Matter
  • Protective Agents
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Vitamin E
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Superoxide Dismutase