Dietary Perilla Seed Oil Supplement Increases Plasma Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Ameliorates Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy in High Immunoglobulin A Strain of ddY Mice

Background/ Aims: The beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the treatment of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) have been reported. Perilla frutescens (Linn.) Britton var. frutescens is grown in Eastern Asia and its seed (perilla seed) is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an n-3 PUFA. We investigated the antinephritic effects of perilla seed oil in a mouse model of IgAN. Methods: Ten-week-old high IgA ddY mice were fed diets containing either perilla seed oil (PS group) or corn oil (C group, control). After 20 weeks, we compared body weight, blood pressure, serum creatinine levels, IgA levels, fatty acid composition, urinary protein excretion, mesangial matrix expansion, and glomerular transforming growth factor-beta(1) mRNA expression between groups. Results: Serum n-3 PUFA levels were higher in the PS group than the C group (p < 0.001). Blood urea nitrogen levels were lower (p = 0.0246) and urinary protein excretion was reduced (p = 0.0198) in the PS group. Mesangial matrix expansion (p = 0.0063) and glomerular transforming growth factor-beta(1) mRNA expression (p = 0.0291) were suppressed in the PS group. No significant differences between groups were found in body weight, blood pressure, serum IgA, and creatinine levels. Conclusions: Dietary perilla seed oil supplement could suppress the progression of IgAN. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel