Pulmonary granuloma development was studied in mice injected with
2x103 Schistosoma mansoni eggs through the main tail
vein. Mice were divided into three groups and fed with a laboratory
manipulated diet differing among them only in the source of fatty
acids. Control group (CT) was fed with a soya oil diet; n-6 deficient
animals (low n-6 group) received a supplemented coconut fat diet; and
the third group, high n-3, was fed with a cod liver oil diet. The
expected anti-inflammatory actions associated with essential fatty
acids deficiency was noticed in our system. When compared with CT,
animals fed with the n-6 deficient diet presented significantly
reduced pulmonary granulomas 32 days after egg injection. Mice fed
with high n-3 diet had pulmonary granulomas reduced as soon as 16 days
post egg injection. Mean granuloma measurements for CT at days 8, 16
and 32 were, in 103μ2, respectively 7.52 5.92, 32.70
18.09, 32.22 19.87; for n-6 deficient animals 17.65 18.85, 36.14
29.14, 24.45 14.06; and for high n-3 group were 11.60 12.67, 9.97
12.34, 25.54 16.66.
