title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids suppress human peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation and interleukin-2 production.
abstract: 1. The effects of a variety of fatty acids on human peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by concanavalin A or purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were studied. 2. The proliferative response to concanavalin A was inhibited by all of the polyunsaturated fatty acids tested (eicosapentaenoate, arachidonate, docosahexaenoate, linoleate and alpha-linolenate) and also by the saturated fatty acid, stearate. The greatest inhibition of proliferation (approximately 85%) was caused by eicosapentaenoate. 3. The proliferative response to the purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was inhibited by all of the polyunsaturated fatty acids tested, except alpha-linolenate, and also by stearate. The greatest inhibition of proliferation (approximately 75%) was caused by eicosapentaenoate. 4. The pattern of inhibition of proliferation by fatty acids was similar to that previously reported for rat lymphocytes with one exception: oleate did not inhibit human lymphocyte proliferation. 5. The proliferation of T-lymphocytes is dependent upon their ability to synthesize and secrete the cytokine, interleukin-2. In the presence of mitogen the concentration of interleukin-2 in the culture medium increased markedly above that in the medium of non-stimulated cells. 6. All polyunsaturated fatty acids tested caused a decrease in the concentration of interleukin-2; the greatest decrease (approximately 90%) was caused by eicosapentaenoate. 7. There was a good correlation between lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of fatty acids and interleukin-2 concentration. However, stearate did not decrease the interleukin-2 concentration but did inhibit lymphocyte proliferation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, U.K.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Newsholme
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014373:Tuberculin
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014373:Tuberculin; D003208:Concanavalin A