Cold-pressed flaxseed oil reverses age-associated depression in a primary cell-mediated adaptive immune response in the mouse.
The objective of this investigation was to determine the influence of flaxseed oil on responses representative of primary humoral and cell-mediated adaptive immune competence in immunosenescent mice. Male and female C57BL/6J mice, 85 weeks old, were randomized between two complete purified diets differing only in oil source (cold-pressed safflower or flaxseed). After 8 weeks, humoral competence was assessed in six mice per group as the serum haemagglutinin titre to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and cell-mediated competence was assessed, in an additional six mice per group, as the delayed hypersensitivity response to SRBC. A zero-time control group (88 weeks old) and a young adult positive control group (12 weeks old) were each tested similarly (six per immune response), revealing age-related depression in both antibody and cell-mediated competence at 88 weeks of age. After the 8-week experimental period, the antibody response of the two test groups of geriatric mice remained below the young adult level (P=0.04) and the cell-mediated response of the safflower oil group also continued to exhibit age-related depression (20 % of young adult level, P=0.0002). By contrast, the anti-SRBC delayed hypersensitivity response of the flaxseed group no longer differed from the response of the young adults but exceeded that of the safflower and zero-time control senescent groups (P=0.0002). Depression in primary cell-mediated competence, the most outstanding aspect of immunosenescence, can be addressed by means of a dietary source of 18 : 3n-3 without longer-chain PUFA.
Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1.
L M
LM
Hillyer
A M
AM
Sandiford
C E
CE
Gray
Bill
B
Woodward
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000276:immunology; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008043:Linseed Oil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation; D012450:Safflower Oil / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005227:Fatty Acids; D012450:Safflower Oil; D008043:Linseed Oil