Frontiers in Neurology (Jun 2017)

Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Heart Levels of Interleukin-6 in Rats with Chronic Inflammation due to Epilepsy

  • Mariana Bocca Nejm,
  • André Abou Haidar,
  • Aparecida Emiko Hirata,
  • Lila Missae Oyama,
  • Antonio-Carlos Guimarães de Almeida,
  • Roberta Monterazzo Cysneiros,
  • Esper Abrão Cavalheiro,
  • Carla Alessandra Scorza,
  • Fulvio Alexandre Scorza

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00263
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major cause of premature death related to epilepsy. The causes of SUDEP remain unknown, but cardiac arrhythmias and asphyxia have been suggested as a major mechanism of this event. Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both epilepsy and ventricular arrhythmia, with interleukin-6 (IL-6) being recognized as a crucial orchestrator of inflammatory states. Our group previously reported that levels of IL-6 were increased in the hearts of epileptic rats. In this scenario, anti-inflammatory actions are among the beneficial effects of fish oil dietary supplementation. This investigation revealed that elevated levels of IL-6 in the heart were markedly reduced in epileptic rats that were treated in the long-term with fish oil, suggesting protective anti-inflammatory actions against dangerously high levels of IL-6. Based on these findings, our results suggest beneficial effects of long-term intake of fish oil in reducing the inflammation associated with chronic epilepsy.

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