title: Oral (n-3) fatty acid supplementation suppresses cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation: comparison between young and older women.
abstract: The effect of (n-3) fatty acid supplementation on cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation was investigated in young (23-33 y) and older (51-68 y) women. Subjects supplemented their diets with 2.4 g of (n-3) fatty acid/d for 3 mo. Blood was collected before and after 1, 2 and 3 mo of supplementation. The (n-3) fatty acid supplementation reduced total interleukin (IL)-1 beta synthesis by 48% in young women but by 90% in older women; tumor necrosis factor was reduced by 58% in young and 70% in older women. Interleukin-6 was reduced in young women by 30% but by 60% in older women. Older women produced less IL-2 and had lower mitogenic responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) than young women prior to (n-3) fatty acid supplementation. The (n-3) fatty acid supplementation reduced IL-2 production in both groups; however, this reduction was significant only in older women. The PHA-stimulated mitogenic response was significantly reduced by (n-3) fatty acid in older women (36%). Thus, long-term (n-3) fatty acid supplementation reduced cytokine production in young women and cytokine production and T cell mitogenesis in older women. The reduction was more dramatic in older women than in young women. Although (n-3) fatty acid-induced reduction in cytokine production may have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects, its suppression of IL-2 production and lymphocyte proliferation in older women may not be desirable.
authors.affiliation: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Department of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Meydani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morrill-Labrode
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dinarello
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gorbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014810:Vitamin E; C060580:Promega; D015232:Dinoprostone