Retinopathy: Discovered the Mechanism Behind the Benefits of Omega-3
Omega 3 benefits: here’s how fish oil acts on retinopathy
Omega 3 fatty acids are effective in treating retinopathy, a disease affecting premature infants and diabetic patients. Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston (USA) have demonstrated the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect.
The news, published in Science Translational Medicine, sheds light on the action of Omega-3 fatty acids on the eye’s microcirculation. It is precisely this action that underpins the beneficial effects of these active ingredients against a disease that would otherwise lead affected individuals to blindness.
A matter of blood vessels
In premature infants, retinopathy is caused by the formation of new blood vessels in the eye, at the retinal level. Similarly, metabolic alterations typical of diabetic patients can also lead to this neovascularization. The most serious consequence of this condition is retinal detachment, which causes vision loss. Harvard researchers demonstrated that Omega-3 inhibit precisely angiogenesis, that is, the formation of new blood vessels. According to their studies, once absorbed by the body, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is converted by the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) into 4-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (4-HDHA), which is the molecule that inhibits the abnormal spread and growth of blood vessels.
Valuable data from mice
Scientists uncovered the mechanism of Omega-3 action by working on laboratory mice, in which they were able, through genetic engineering techniques, to individually eliminate the four main enzymes involved in the conversion of Omega-3 into the molecules actually used by cells. This allowed them to observe that the step responsible for the protective effect of fatty acids is controlled by 5-LOX and that 4-HDHA produced through the action of this enzyme directly inhibits the growth and spread of blood vessels. Furthermore, during the research, a high production of 4-HDHA was also observed under stress conditions like those causing retinopathy in premature infants and diabetic subjects.
A path paved toward new treatments
As emphasized by the authors themselves, the current results pave the way for the development of targeted new treatments, which could also be used in combination with currently used therapies for retinopathy. Moreover, the advantage would also be economic, considering that the cost of Omega-3 supplements is far lower than that of traditional retinopathy treatments.
