The effect of supplementing fish oil and aspirin on blood levels of factors involved in the resolution of inflammation in healthy men and women

INTERVENTION: 20 healthy men and women will be recruited from the general population by newspaper advertisements. They will be matched for age and gender. They will be asked to take 4 x 1g fish oil capsules daily (Omega Daily, Blackmores Ltd, Australia) supplying 2.4g/day of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for 7 days. On the sixth day they will be randomly allocated to take either 3 x 100mg tablets per day of aspirin (Bayer, Australia) or the same number of placebo (microcellulose) tablets. Volunteers will be asked to take aspirin or placebo tablets on both the sixth and seventh days, in addition to the fish oil. Fish oil capsules and aspirin or placebo tablets will be taken orally. Blood samples will be collected at baseline (day 0), and at days 5 and 7. CONDITION: Low level inflammation PRIMARY OUTCOME: Plasma anti‐inflammatory resolvins and protectins SECONDARY OUTCOME: Fasting plasma fatty acids INCLUSION CRITERIA: Men aged 20‐70 years, and post‐menopausal women aged less than 70 years will be recruited from the general population by newspaper advertisements. Volunteers will be included if they do not meet any of the criteria for the metabolic syndrome as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP: ATPIII).