Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Heart Levels of Interleukin-6 in Rats with Chronic Inflammation due to Epilepsy

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major cause of premature death related to epilepsy. The causes of SUDEP remain unknown, but cardiac arrhythmias and asphyxia have been suggested as a major mechanism of this event. Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both epilepsy and ventricular arrhythmia, with interleukin-6 (IL-6) being recognized as a crucial orchestrator of inflammatory states. Our group previously reported that levels of IL-6 were increased in the hearts of epileptic rats. In this scenario, anti-inflammatory actions are among the beneficial effects of fish oil dietary supplementation. This investigation revealed that elevated levels of IL-6 in the heart were markedly reduced in epileptic rats that were treated in the long-term with fish oil, suggesting protective anti-inflammatory actions against dangerously high levels of IL-6. Based on these findings, our results suggest beneficial effects of long-term intake of fish oil in reducing the inflammation associated with chronic epilepsy.FAPESPCAPESCNPqFAPESP/CNPq/MCT-Instituto Nacional de Neurociencia TranslacionalFAPEMIGCEPID/FAPESPUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurociencia, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Fisiol, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Joao Del Rei UFSJ, Dept Engn Biossistemas, Sao Joao Del Rei, BrazilUniv Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Programa Posgrad Disturbios Desenvolvimento, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Neurociencia, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Fisiol, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, BrazilFAPESPCAPESCNPqFAPESP/CNPq/MCT-Instituto Nacional de Neurociencia TranslacionalFAPEMIGCEPID/FAPESPWeb of Scienc