title: The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on TNF-alpha and IL-10 secretion by murine peritoneal cells in vitro.
abstract: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) affect immune response, partly by affecting cytokine secretion. Omega-3 PUFA decrease tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha secretion by RAW 264.7 macrophages but increase TNF-alpha secretion by primary elicited peritoneal macrophages in vitro. In this study, the effects of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA on lipopolysaccharide induced TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-10 secretion by murine primary resident and elicited peritoneal macrophages and by RAW 264.7 macrophages, were examined in vitro using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the effects of dietary omega-3 PUFA on the number of cells secreting these cytokines were examined with enzyme-linked immunospot assay. All cell types secreted more TNF-alpha but similar amounts of IL-10 when incubated with the omega-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid, compared with that when incubated with the omega-6 PUFA, linoleic acid or arachidonic acid. Dietary fish oil did not affect the number of TNF-alpha secreting resident peritoneal macrophages but decreased the number of macrophages secreting IL-10 ex vivo. These results show that dietary omega-3 PUFA and omega-3 PUFA added to cells in vitro increase TNF-alpha secretion by resident peritoneal macrophages, probably by a direct effect on the cells. In contrast, omega-3 PUFA did not affect IL-10 secretion by the cells but decreased the number of cells secreting IL-10 ex vivo, possibly by affecting cell recruitment, maturation or proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegur 16, 101, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ingibjorg H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Skuladottir
authors.forename: Dagbjort H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Petursdottir
authors.forename: Ingibjorg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hardardottir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10