| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2079781 | Current Opinion in Food Science | 2015 | 9 Pages |
•Effects on polycystic kidney disease depends on the type of dietary n-3 PUFAs.•ALA-rich flaxseed attenuated polycystic kidney disease progression.•Soybean oil consisting of both ALA and LNA resulted in inconsistent renal effects.•Anti-inflammatory EPA/DHA-rich fish oil attenuated polycystic kidney disease.•Adverse renal effects due to DHA provided as algal oil raised safety concerns.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an incurable genetic disease characterized by multiple fluid-filled renal cysts and is a leading cause of renal failure. Medical treatment options for PKD are limited. Therefore, dietary intervention offers a potentially efficacious, cost-effective, and safe therapeutic strategy for PKD. The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) regulates multiple steps in PKD cyst pathogenesis. The aim of this review article was to evaluate studies investigating the effects of different amounts of fat and n-3 PUFAs sources on PKD, co-morbidities, safety, and potential mechanisms of action. Renal effects differed depending on the type of fat consumed. The n-3 PUFA, alpha-linolenic acid provided as flaxseed was renal protective, but provided as soybean oil with lower ALA content had inconsistent effects. Long-chain n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), provided as fish oil produced anti-inflammatory actions that attenuated PKD progression and improved dyslipidemia. However, adverse renal effects and reduced survival in PKD rodent models provided DHA supplementation as algal oil raises potential safety concerns. A better understanding of the role of nutrition on PKD can contribute to the development of dietary recommendations and diet-based therapies to reduce PKD progression and severity.
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