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Hi, fish-oil lovers! This article in Review of Ophthalmology is kind of interesting:
Fatty Acid Treatment May Relieve Dry Eye
While still in early stages of testing, researchers in Boston and Genoa, Italy, found that topical administration of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids led to a significant decrease in dry-eye signs and inflammatory changes at both cellular and molecular levels in a mouse model.
Formulations containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), combined ALA and LA, or vehicle alone, were applied to dry eyes induced in mice. A masked observer assessed fluorescein staining and the number and maturation of corneal CD11b+ cells in the different treatment groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify expression of inflammatory cytokines in the cornea and conjunctiva.
Dry-eye induction significantly increased corneal fluorescein staining; CD11b+ cell number and major histocompatibility complex Class II expression; corneal IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) expression; and conjunctival IL-1, TNF-alpha, interferon, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 expression. Treatment with ALA significantly decreased corneal fluorescein staining compared with both vehicle and untreated controls. Additionally, ALA treatment was associated with a significant decrease in CD11b+ cell number, expression of corneal IL-1 and TNF-alpha, and conjunctival TNF-alpha.
They conclude that topical application of ALA omega-3 fatty acid may be a novel therapy to treat the clinical signs and inflammatory changes accompanying dry-eye syndrome.
(Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:219-225.)
Rashid S, Jin Y, Ecoiffier T, Barabino S, Schaumberg D, Dana, R.
Fatty Acid Treatment May Relieve Dry Eye
While still in early stages of testing, researchers in Boston and Genoa, Italy, found that topical administration of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids led to a significant decrease in dry-eye signs and inflammatory changes at both cellular and molecular levels in a mouse model.
Formulations containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), combined ALA and LA, or vehicle alone, were applied to dry eyes induced in mice. A masked observer assessed fluorescein staining and the number and maturation of corneal CD11b+ cells in the different treatment groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify expression of inflammatory cytokines in the cornea and conjunctiva.
Dry-eye induction significantly increased corneal fluorescein staining; CD11b+ cell number and major histocompatibility complex Class II expression; corneal IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) expression; and conjunctival IL-1, TNF-alpha, interferon, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 expression. Treatment with ALA significantly decreased corneal fluorescein staining compared with both vehicle and untreated controls. Additionally, ALA treatment was associated with a significant decrease in CD11b+ cell number, expression of corneal IL-1 and TNF-alpha, and conjunctival TNF-alpha.
They conclude that topical application of ALA omega-3 fatty acid may be a novel therapy to treat the clinical signs and inflammatory changes accompanying dry-eye syndrome.
(Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:219-225.)
Rashid S, Jin Y, Ecoiffier T, Barabino S, Schaumberg D, Dana, R.
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