title: Effect of fatty acid-rich diets on thymocyte proliferation and thymus involution during growing.
abstract: The effect of poly-unsaturated and saturated fatty acid-rich diet on the proliferation response of T and B lymphocytes in vitro was investigated. Also, a mitotic index of thymocytes and of thymus epithelial reticular-like cells and thymic involution coefficient were examined in vivo. w-6 PUFA-rich diet enhanced the rate of T (eightfold) and B (fourfold) lymphocyte proliferation, whereas saturated fatty acids did not show an important effect. However, both fat-rich diets increased the mitotic index of thymocytes and thymus involution index in vivo. These findings suggest that fat-rich diets may accelerate thymus involution during growing, possibly aggravating the impairment of the immune function which usually occurs under this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Egami
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Guimaraes
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nascimento Curi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000633:toxicity*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008940:Mitotic Index; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids