The role of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in intestinal inflammation and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a recent randomized, controlled trial. These compounds are known to modulate the inflammatory cascade and to influence intestinal health in a variety of ways. Although the pathophysiology of NEC is not well understood, recent evidence suggests that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a key endogenous mediator of intestinal necrosis in animals. Using a neonatal rat model of NEC that includes the key risk factors of asphyxia and formula feeding, we investigated the role of dietary PUFA supplementation on the incidence and pathophysiology of NEC. Our findings suggest that PUFA reduce the incidence of NEC by modulating PAF metabolism and endotoxin translocation.