Effect of dietary n-3/n-6 fatty acid ratio on the total count, fatty acid composition, and histamine and leukotriene concentrations of mast cells in tunica mucosa bronchiorum of type I allergic guinea pig.
To search for the most effective dietary n-3/n-6 ratio to suppress the type I allergic response, we performed basic experiments that applied parameters, associated with the type I allergy. Guinea pigs fed on diets containing lipids with the n-3/n-6 ratio at different levels and the polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio of a fixed level were sensitized with ovalbumin and reared for two weeks. The lowest or critical level of the n-3/n-6 ratio which produced a significant difference in the parameters was as follows: about 2.0 for the response of mast cells and eosinophils; 0.5 and 1.0, respectively, for the uptake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased histamine production; and 0.2 for decreased leukotriene B4 and total leukotrienes 4, and increased leukotrienes 5/leukotrienes 4. The critical level of the n-3/n-6 ratio thus differed widely according to the parameter. Overall, the upper limit for the dietary n-3/n-6 ratio to suppress antigen-induced type I allergic responses is suggested to be around 1.0.
Kuwamori
M
M
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan.
Wada
M
M
Takita
T
T
Tadokoro
T
T
Maekawa
A
A
Innami
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D015289:Leukotrienes; D006632:Histamine