Nutritionally essential polyunsaturated fatty acids? (PUFAs) have been implicated as potentially important factors in mood? disorders. However, the role of PUFAs in acute mania has been minimally? investigated. We performed a pilot study to explore associations between? symptom severity and levels of fatty acids and of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived arachidonic acid? metabolite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Patients (n=10) that were medication-free for at least? 2 weeks and seeking inpatient admission for an acute manic episode were? compared with healthy volunteers (n=10). Fasting? baseline free and esterified plasma levels of docosahexaneoic acid (DHA,? 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), arachidonic acid? (AA,20:4n-6) and the AA metabolite PGE2 were determined, and PGE2? levels were tested again at 6 weeks. No significant changes in levels of? individual or total fatty acids, or of PGE2 were found. Among subjects, manic? symptom severity correlated negatively with levels of free AA and free? EPA, and positively with the free AA:EPA ratio. PGE2 levels did not? differ between groups or in subjects pre- and post-treatment.? These preliminary results suggest that, in susceptible? persons, low plasma levels of free EPA compared with AA are related to? the severity of mania.
