Dietary supplementation with N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid‐enriched fish oil promotes wound healing after ultraviolet B‐induced sunburn in mice

Abstract

Abstract N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) can alleviate ultraviolet B (UVB)‐induced skin cancers, but their effects on sunburn and upcoming wound healing remain controversial. This study aimed to explore the impact of n‐3 PUFA‐enriched fish oil (n‐3 PUFA‐FO) on UVB‐induced sunburns and subsequent healing. Sixty C57BL/6 female mice were divided into two groups. The treated group mice were fed n‐3 PUFA‐FO for the entire duration of the experiment. Mice in the control group were fed a standard diet. After two weeks of n‐3 PUFA‐FO feeding, mice were exposed to UVB for 20 min and sacrificed 20 d later. Skin photodamage and lesion area were recorded during wound healing. Epidermal lesion thickness was quantified in hematoxylin and eosin‐stained skin sections. Inflammation and macrophage polarization were assessed by qRT‐PCR. Oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activity were quantified using specific ELISA kits. N‐3 PUFA‐FO feeding decreased UVB photodamage and accelerated wound healing progression, both of which were coupled with less intense inflammation and increased macrophage M2 phenotype polarization. Furthermore, n‐3 PUFA‐FO brought about a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels but increased the activity of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GP), without changing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. N‐3 PUFA‐FO protects against UVB‐induced skin photodamage and promotes wound healing by modulating macrophage phenotypic polarization and antioxidant enzyme activities. N‐3 PUFA‐FO could be a novel therapeutic approach for both the prevention and treatment of sunburns.

Keywords

• antioxidant enzymes
• inflammation
• macrophage polarization
• n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
• sunburn