Effect of Dietary Fish Oil on Hyperlipidaemia due to Isotretinoin and Etretinate

Abstract

Treatment with retinoids results in increased serum triglyceride and cholesterol and reduced HDL-cholesterol; dietary supplementation with fish oil lowers serum lipids. Therefore combining retinoids with fish oil may reduce retinoid hyperlipidaemia. Increased triglyceride due to isotretinoin was reduced by 70% (P < 0.05) and cholesterol by 45% (P < 0.05) after addition of fish oil; placebo oil had no effect. These decreases were not associated with changes in levels of HDL-cholesterol or reduction of increased levels of apoprotein B. Increased triglyceride due to etretinate was reversed after the addition of fish oil (P < 0.01), but cholesterol levels did not change. Therefore fish oil inhibits hypertriglyceridaemia due to isotretinoin and etretinate and reduces increased cholesterol levels due to isotretinoin; this effect is likely to be due to altered lipoprotein composition.