Comparison of the dietary omega-3 fatty acids impact on murine psoriasis-like skin inflammation and associated lipid dysfunction

Abstract

Persistent skin inflammation and impaired resolution are the main contributors to psoriasis and associated cardiometabolic complications. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are known to exert beneficial effects on inflammatory response and lipid function. However, a specific role of omega-3 PUFAs in psoriasis and accompanied pathologies are still a matter of debate. Here, we carried out a direct comparison between EPA and DHA 12 weeks diet intervention treatment of psoriasis-like skin inflammation in the K14-Rac1V12 mouse model. By utilizing sensitive techniques, we targeted EPA- and DHA-derived specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators and identified tightly connected signaling pathways by RNA sequencing. Treatment with experimental diets significantly decreased circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and bioactive lipid mediators, altered psoriasis macrophage phenotypes and genes of lipid oxidation. The superficial role of these changes was related to DHA treatment and included increased levels of resolvin D5, protectin DX and maresin 2 in the skin. EPA treated mice had less pronounced effects but demonstrated a decreased skin accumulation of prostaglandin E₂ and thromboxane B₂. These results indicate that modulating psoriasis skin inflammation with the omega-3 PUFAs may have clinical significance and DHA treatment might be considered over EPA in this specific disease.

Keywords: DHA; EPA; Psoriasis; inflammation; lipid mediators; polyunsaturated fatty acids.