The 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 affects Candida albicans pathogenesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans infection model, an alternative to mammalian host models. The nematodes were supplemented with EPA prior to infection, and the influence of EPA on C. elegans lipid metabolism, survival and immune response was studied. In addition, the influence of EPA on hyphal formation in C. albicans was investigated. It was discovered that EPA supplementation changed the lipid composition, but not the unsaturation index of C. elegans by regulating genes involved in fatty acid and eicosanoid production. EPA supplementation also delayed killing of C. elegans by C. 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 in C. albicans and stimulated the immune response of C. elegans. This provides a link between EPA and host susceptibility to microbial infection in this model.

摄入 omega-3 多不饱和脂肪酸，包括二十碳五烯酸 (EPA)，因其抗炎特性而对健康有益。这种脂肪酸在体外还表现出抗真菌特性。为了确定这种抗真菌特性在体内是否有效，我们研究了 EPA 如何影响秀丽隐杆线虫感染模型（哺乳动物宿主模型的替代模型）中白色 念珠菌的发病机制。线虫在感染前补充EPA，并研究了EPA对线虫脂质代谢、存活和免疫反应的影响。此外，还研究了EPA 对白色念珠菌菌丝形成的影响。研究发现，补充 EPA通过调节涉及脂肪酸和类二十烷酸生成的基因，改变了秀丽隐杆线虫的脂质组成，但没有改变不饱和指数。补充 EPA 还可以通过 EPA 类二十烷酸代谢物 17,18-环氧二十碳四烯酸的作用，抑制体内菌丝形成，从而延迟白色念珠菌对秀丽隐杆线虫的杀死。此外，EPA的补充还引起白色念珠菌生物膜相关基因表达的差异表达，并刺激秀丽隐杆线虫的免疫反应。这提供了该模型中 EPA 与宿主对微生物感染的易感性之间的联系。