Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Reduces Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

NaPier Z, Kanim LEA, Arabi Y, Salehi K, Sears B, Perry M, Kim S, Sheyn D, Bae HW, Glaeser JD · Medical Science Monitor

The blood arachidonic-acid to EPA ratio halved from 40 to 20 within a month, the injury-induced loss of disc hydration on micro-MRI was attenuated, and nucleus pulposus destruction on histology was less severe — the same fatty acids acting on a different cartilaginous tissue.

Population

Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats with two lumbar discs needle-punctured to induce degeneration

Intervention

530 mg/kg/day EPA and DHA in a 2:1 ratio in sucrose solution

Comparator

Sucrose solution alone

Limitations

Animal work in the spine, and the intervertebral disc is not articular cartilage. Twelve rats; one author is affiliated with the Inflammation Research Foundation rather than a university; funded by a spine-society fellowship grant.