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Gammalinolenic acid-enriched diet alters cutaneous eicosanoids
1Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|August 15, 1988
Summary
Dietary supplementation with gammalinolenic acid (GLA) may help inflammatory skin conditions. Borage oil, rich in GLA, increased anti-inflammatory compounds in guinea pig skin, suggesting a potential non-toxic treatment approach.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Biochemistry
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Vegetable oils rich in gammalinolenic acid (GLA) are associated with potential benefits for inflammatory skin disorders.
- The precise mechanisms by which dietary GLA influences skin inflammation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the modulatory role of dietary GLA on cutaneous eicosanoids in an animal model.
- To determine if GLA supplementation affects the production of anti-inflammatory metabolites in the skin.
Main Methods:
- Guinea pigs were fed either a control diet (safflower oil) or a diet rich in GLA (borage oil) for 8 weeks.
- Epidermal samples were analyzed for fatty acid composition and tissue eicosanoids.
- Levels of GLA, dihomogammalinolenic acid (DGLA), and specific eicosanoid metabolites were quantified.
Main Results:
- Borage oil-fed animals showed significantly increased levels of GLA and DGLA in epidermal lipids.
- Epidermal analysis revealed elevated amounts of 15-hydroxy fatty acid (15-OH-20:3n-6) and prostaglandin PGE1, both DGLA metabolites.
- These metabolites are known to possess anti-inflammatory properties.
Conclusions:
- Increased dietary GLA intake leads to the generation of local anti-inflammatory metabolites in the skin.
- This suggests that GLA-rich oils may offer a non-toxic therapeutic strategy for managing inflammatory skin disorders.
- Dietary GLA supplementation represents a promising avenue for developing novel treatments for skin inflammation.