Effects of a Fish Oil Dietary Supplement on Endotoxin-Induced Ocular Inflammation

We compared the effects of fish oil versus corn oil dietary supplements on two rabbit models of uveitis induced by either intravenous (IV) or intravitreal (IVT) Escherichia coli endotoxin. Addition of fish oil to a standard diet consistently diminished the rise in aqueous humor prostaglandin E₂ levels 24 hours after IVT endotoxin injection or 3 hours following IV endotoxin injection. Aqueous humor thromboxane B₂ levels following IV or IVT endotoxin injection were also lower in rabbits fed a fish oil supplemented diet. However, the fish oil diet resulted in only a modest attenuation of increases in ocular vascular permeability following either IVT or IV endotoxin injection. Fish oil supplementation inconsistently reduced leukocyte infiltration into the anterior chamber following IVT endotoxin. In contrast to the reported ability of fish oil dietary supplements to reduce corneal inflammation, these models of anterior uveal inflammation do not seem to be altered in a clinically significant manner.