Eicosapentaenoic acid influences the pathogenesis of Candida albicans in Caenorhabditis elegans via inhibition of hyphal formation and stimulation of the host immune response

AbstractThe intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), is associated with health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This fatty acid also exhibits antifungal properties in vitro. In order to determine if this antifungal property is valid in vivo, we examined how EPA affectsCandidaalbicans pathogenesis in theCaenorhabditiselegans infection model, an alternative to mammalian host models. The nematodes were supplemented with EPA prior to infection, and the influence of EPA onC.elegans lipid metabolism, survival and immune response was studied. In addition, the influence of EPA on hyphal formation inC.albicans was investigated. It was discovered that EPA supplementation changed the lipid composition, but not the unsaturation index ofC.elegans by regulating genes involved in fatty acid and eicosanoid production. EPA supplementation also delayed killing ofC.elegans byC.albicans due to the inhibition of hyphal formation in vivo, via the action of the eicosanoid metabolite of EPA, 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid. Moreover, EPA supplementation also caused differential expression of biofilm-related gene expression inC.albicans and stimulated the immune response ofC.elegans. This provides a link between EPA and host susceptibility to microbial infection in this model.
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research