Omega 3 fatty acids are said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-arteriosclerosis effects, and are generally recognized as "body-friendly fatty acids".However, the discovery of a research group at the University of Tokyo has revealed that the omega 3 fatty acid has a surprising aspect of "making allergies worse."
The research group first discovered that mast cells, which play a central role in allergies, constantly produce "epoxidized omega 3 fatty acids," which are produced by the oxidation of omega 3 fatty acids.Mast cells are activated when they encounter allergens, causing anaphylactic reactions such as itching, airway contraction, and decreased body temperature due to vasodilation.Excessive mast cell activation is characteristic of allergic patients.
The research group attempted to identify the enzyme responsible for the production of epoxidized omega 3 fatty acids in mast cells.As a result, PAF-AH2, a lipid-degrading enzyme, produces epoxidized omega-3 fatty acid, and the produced epoxidized omega-3 fatty acid reduces the expression of a molecule called Srcin1, which has the effect of suppressing mast cell activation. , It was found that it promotes the activation of mast cells.
After discovering that the enzymatic activity of PAF-AH2 is important for mast cell activation, the research group continued to conduct experiments in which an inhibitor of PAF-AH2 was added to mast cells.Then, it was said that the activation of mast cells and the resulting anaphylactic reaction were remarkably suppressed, and we succeeded in showing that PAF-AH2 is useful as a completely new drug discovery target for allergies.
From this result, it is expected that a completely new antiallergic drug will be created using the inhibition of PAF-AH2 as a molecular substrate.
Paper information:[Nature Medicine] Omega-3 fatty acid epoxides are autocrine mediators that control the magnitude of IgE-mediated mast cell activation
