The effect of low-dose fish oil supplementation on serum growth factors in healthy humans

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of low-dose fish oil supplementation on specific growth factors, purported to play a central role in lesion formation, and also on the total growth factor activity of serum, as assessed by the induction of DNA synthesis in cultured human arterial smooth muscle cells.

Design: Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind intervention study.

Setting: Free-living population.

Subjects: Sixty-three healthy volunteers, 37 males and 26 females.

Interventions: Four treatment regimes with subjects receiving 0, 0.3, 0.6 or 0.9 g/day of n-3 PUFA for an 8 week period. Blood samples were taken at baseline and following the 8 week intervention. All samples were analysed in batch following completion of the study.

Results: Consumption of fish oil had no effect on serum platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), or transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) concentration. Furthermore, fish oil supplementation did not alter the total growth factor activity of serum.

Conclusions: Results indicate that low-dose fish oil supplementation, equivalent to about two portions of fatty fish per week and providing less than 1 g n-3 PUFA/day, does not alter the levels of the major serum growth factors and does not modify total serum growth factor activity in healthy human volunteers.

Sponsorship: European Union shared cost project (FAIR-CT-95-0085).

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 690–694