Respiratory muscle weakness is commonplace in critically ill patients, impairing the ability of those patients to breath, prolonging the need for ventilatory support, and increasing the likelihood of respiratory failure when that support is removed. Infections and endotoxemia reduce respiratory muscle strength, probably acting through several mechanisms. It is reported that the omega-3 fatty ac...

A method was developed for rapid screening and isolation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-producing soil fungi through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Genes coding for delta6 fatty acid desaturase and delta5 fatty acid desaturase were used as molecular markers for screening these EPA-producing fungi from soil. Three out of 65 soil fungi gave positive results through PCR amplificati...

The chemical composition variations of the Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) from Karachi coast were investigated seasonally over the period of one year (2004-2005).  Moisture, crude protein, fat and ash contents varied from 70.11-74.41%, 16.02- 20.09%, 3.0-12%, and 0.89-1.35% respectively. The seasonal data indicated that the main fatty acids of the total lipid were C16:0, C16:1, C18:0,...

The chemical composition variations of the Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) from Karachi coast were investigated seasonally over the period of one year (2004-2005).  Moisture, crude protein, fat and ash contents varied from 70.11-74.41%, 16.02- 20.09%, 3.0-12%, and 0.89-1.35% respectively. The seasonal data indicated that the main fatty acids of the total lipid were C16:0, C16:1, C18:0,...

Dietary mono- or di-trans fatty acids with chain lengths of 18-22 increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases because they increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol in the plasma. However, the effects of trans isomers of PUFAs on lipid metabolism remain unknown. Dietary PUFAs, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in marine oils, improve serum lipid profiles by suppressing liver X...

INTRODUCTION The relation between docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) vs. arachidonic acid (AA) seems characterized by both synergism and antagonism. MATERIALS AND METHODS Investigate the relation between EPA+DHA and AA in populations with a wide range of EPA+DHA status and across the life cycle. EPA+DHA and AA were determined in erythrocytes (RBC; n=1979), umbilical arteries (UA...

In dystrophin-deficient fibers of mdx mice and in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, inflammation and increased production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) contribute to myonecrosis. We examined the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on dystrophic muscle degeneration. Mdx mice (14 days old) received EPA for 16 days. The sternomastoid, diaphragm and biceps brachii muscles were removed. Contr...