Effects of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on human placental cytokine production

Abstract Introduction Dietary supplementation with omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( n -3 PUFAs) may exert benefits in pregnancy through inhibition of placental inflammation. However, studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of n -3 PUFAs in the placenta are lacking. We compared the cytokine responses of human placental explants in vitro after 4 days pre-incubation with either: a) individual n -3 or n -6 PUFAs (20 μM), or b) physiologically relevant combinations of low, medium or high n -3 or n -6 PUFA concentrations. Methods Placental cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) mRNA expression and protein production were assessed at 4 h and 12 h, respectively. Cytokine and fatty acid concentrations were also measured in placentas delivered at term by women who ingested either low ( n = 12) or high ( n = 10) amounts of fish/fish oil in the month prior to delivery. Results Pre-exposure to n -3 PUFAs as individual fatty acids results in reduced placental IL-6 production ( P