title: Immunologic effects of marine- and plant-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in nonhuman primates.
abstract: The effect of marine- and plant-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on T cell-mediated immune response was studied in cynomolgus monkeys. Animals were first fed a 14-wk baseline diet; 10 animals were then fed diets containing 1.3% or 3.3% of energy as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which the other 10 were fed diets containing 3.5% or 5.3% of energy as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) for two consecutive 14-wk periods. Both diets significantly decreased the percentage of T cells (except 1.3% EPA + DHA), T helper cells (except 1.3% EPA + DHA and 3.5% ALA), and T suppressor cells. Proliferative response of lymphocytes to T cell mitogens significantly increased after the diet containing 3.3% EPA + DHA. Interleukin 2 production significantly increased after the diets containing 1.3% and 3.3% EPA + DHA. No significant changes in mitogenic response or interleukin 2 production were found after ALA diets. Feeding 1.3% or 3.3% EPA + DHA or 5.3% ALA significantly suppressed prostaglandin E2 production in response to T cell mitogens. Plasma tocopherol concentrations were decreased significantly only in monkeys fed ALA diets. We conclude that after adjustment for the tocopherol concentration, marine-derived n-3 PUFAs but not plant-derived n-3 PUFAs increased T cell-mediated mitogenic response and interleukin 2 production. This is most likely due to diet-induced quantitative differences in cellular fatty acid composition and, thus, in prostaglandin E2 production and tocopherol status.
authors.affiliation: Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Meydani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meydani
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hayek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huth
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015777:Eicosanoids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010938:Plant Oils; C057590:phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide; D014810:Vitamin E; D015232:Dinoprostone