Supplementation with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LCPUFA) was tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study for six months in 31 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD):
- eighteen were treated with ω-3 LCPUFA and 13 with placebo;
- leukocyte mRNA levels of the muscle regeneration marker FOXP3 in ambulant participants were higher than in non-ambulant participants;
- it was correlated with the Vignos scale score after six months of supplementation;
- at the end of the study, the level of CD49d+ and CD8+ T cells was lower in the ω-3 LCPUFA group than in the placebo group.
The authors conclude that omega-3 supplementation, whose action on FOXP3 remains to be elucidated, may be of potential interest in DMD.
