Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:25:04.176Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The influence of different combinations of γ-linolenic acid, stearidonic acid and EPA on immune function in healthy young male subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Elizabeth A. Miles*
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK
Tapati Banerjee
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK
Maaike M. B. W. Dooper
Affiliation:
Numico Research BV, P. O. Box 7005, Wageningen NL-6700, The Netherlands
Laura M'Rabet
Affiliation:
Numico Research BV, P. O. Box 7005, Wageningen NL-6700, The Netherlands
Yvo M. F. Graus
Affiliation:
Numico Research BV, P. O. Box 7005, Wageningen NL-6700, The Netherlands
Philip C. Calder
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Elizabeth A. Miles, fax + 44 23 8059 4383, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

To determine the effects of EPA, stearidonic acid (STA) or γ-linolenic acid (GLA) on immune outcomes, healthy male subjects consumed one of seven oil blends for 12 weeks. EPA consumption increased the EPA content of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Consumption of GLA (2·0 g/d) in the absence of STA or EPA increased di-homo-GLA content in PBMC. Neither STA nor its derivative 20:4n-3 appeared in PBMC when STA (<1·0 g/d) was consumed. However, STA (1·0 g/d), in combination with GLA (0·9 g/d), increased the proportion of EPA in PBMC. None of the treatments altered neutrophil or monocyte phagocytosis or respiratory burst, production of inflammatory cytokines by monocytes, T lymphocyte proliferation or the delayed-type hypersensitivity response. Production of cytokines by T lymphocytes increased in all groups, with no differences among them. The proportion of lymphocytes that were natural killer cells decreased significantly in subjects receiving 2·0 g EPA or GLA/d. There were no other effects on lymphocyte sub-populations. Plasma IgE concentration decreased in most groups, but not in the control group. Plasma IgG2 concentration increased in the EPA group. Thus, EPA or GLA at a dose of 2·0 g/d have little effect on key functions of neutrophils, monocytes and T lymphocytes, although at this dose these fatty acids decrease the number of natural killer cells. At this dose EPA increases IgG2 concentrations. STA can increase immune cell EPA status, but at 1·0 g/d does not affect human immune function.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Blok, WL, Deslypere, J-P, Demacker, PNM, van der Ven-Jongekrijg, J, Hectors, MPC, van der Meer, JMW & Katan, MB (1997) Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in healthy volunteers fed various doses of fish oil for 1 year. Eur J Clin Invest 27, 10031008.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
British Nutrition Foundation (1992) Report of the Task Force on Unsaturated Fatty Acids: Nutritional and Physiological Significance. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
British Nutrition Foundation (1999) Briefing Paper: n-3 Fatty Acids and Health. London: British Nutrition Foundation.Google Scholar
Burdge, GC, Jones, AE & Wootton, SA (2002) Eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids are the principal products of α-linolenic acid metabolism in young men. Br J Nutr 88, 355363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burdge, GC & Wootton, SA (2002) Conversion of α-linolenic acid to eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in young women. Br J Nutr 88, 411420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calder, PC (2001 a) Polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and immunity. Lipids 36, 10071024.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calder, PC (2001 b) n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and immunity: pouring oil on troubled waters or another fishy tale? Nutr Res 21, 309341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, PC (2002) Dietary modification of inflammation with lipids. Proc Nutr Soc 61, 345358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, PC (2003) n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammation: from molecular biology to the clinic. Lipids 38, 342352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caughey, GE, Mantzioris, E, Gibson, RA, Cleland, LG & James, MJ (1996) The effect on human tumour factor α and interleukin 1β production of diets enriched in n-3 fatty acids from vegetable oil or fish oil. Am J Clin Nutr 63, 116122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Luca, P, Rossetti, RG, Alavian, C, Karim, P & Zurier, RB (1999) Effects of gammalinolenic acid on interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion by stimulated human peripheral blood monocytes: studies in vitro and in vivo. J Invest Med 47, 246250.Google ScholarPubMed
Gibney, MJ & Hunter, B (1993) The effects of short term and long term supplementation with fish oil on the incorporation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into cells of the immune system in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Nutr 47, 255259.Google ScholarPubMed
Healy, DA, Wallace, FA, Miles, EA, Calder, PC & Newsholme, P (2000) Effect of low to moderate amounts of dietary fish oil on neutrophil lipid composition and function. Lipids 35, 763768.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huang, YS, Smith, RS, Redden, PR, Cantrill, RC & Horrobin, DF (1991) Modification of liver fatty-acid metabolism in mice by n-3 and n-6 delta-6-desaturase substrates and products. Biochim Biophys Acta 1082, 319327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ishihara, K, Komatsu, W, Saito, H & Shinohara, K (2002) Comparison of the effects of dietary alpha-linolenic, stearidonic, and eicosapentaenoic acids on production of inflammatory mediators in mice. Lipids 37, 481486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, MJ, Ursin, VM & Cleland, LG (2003) Metabolism of stearidonic acid in human subjects: comparison with the metabolism of other n-3 fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr 77, 11401145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, MM, Swan, DD, Surette, ME, Stegner, J, Chilton, T, Fonteh, AN & Chilton, FH (1997) Dietary supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid alters fatty acid content and eicosanoid production in healthy humans. J Nutr 127, 14351444.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelley, DS, Branch, LB, Love, JE, Taylor, PC, Rivera, YM & Iacono, JM (1991) Dietary alpha-linolenic acid and immunocompetance in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 53, 4046.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kew, K, Banerjee, T, Minihane, AM, Finnegan, YE, Muggli, R, Albers, R, Williams, CR & Calder, PC (2003) Lack of effect of foods enriched with plant- or marine-derived n-3 fatty acids on human immune function. Am J Clin Nutr 77, 12871295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mann, DR, Akinbami, MA, Gould, KG & Ansari, AA (2000) Seasonal variation in cytokine expression and cell-mediated immunity in male rhesus monkeys. Cell Immunol 200, 105115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meydani, SN, Lichtenstein, AH, Cornwall, S, Meydani, M, Goldin, BR, Rasmussen, H, Dinarello, CA & Schaefer, EJ (1993) Immunologic effects of national cholesterol education step-2 diets with and without fish-derived n-3 fatty acid enrichment. J Clin Invest 92, 105113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, RJ & Demas, GE (1996) Seasonal changes in immune function. Q Rev Biol 71, 511548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rossetti, RG, Seiler, CM, De Luca, P, Laposata, M & Zurier, RB (1997) Oral administration of unsaturated fatty acids: effects on human peripheral blood T lymphocyte proliferation. J Leukoc Biol 62, 438443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schmidt, EB, Varming, K, Moller, JM, Bulow Pederson, I, Madsen, P & Dyerberg, J (1996) No effect of very low dose n-3 fatty acids on monocyte function in healthy humans. Scand J Clin Invest 56, 8792.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thies, F, Miles, EA, Nebe-von-Caron, G, Powell, JR, Hurst, TL, Newsholme, EA & Calder, PC (2001 a) Influence of dietary supplementation with long-chain n-3 or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood inflammatory cell populations and functions and on plasma soluble adhesion molecules in healthy humans. Lipids 36, 11831193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thies, F, Nebe-von-Caron, G, Powell, JR, Yaqoob, P, Newsholme, EA & Calder, PC (2001 b) Dietary supplementation with gamma linolenic acid or fish oil decreases T lymphocyte proliferation in healthy older humans. J Nutr 131, 19181927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thies, F, Nebe-von-Caron, G, Powell, JR, Yaqoob, P, Newsholme, EA & Calder, PC (2001 c) Dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid, but not with other long chain n 3 or n 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, decreases natural killer cell activity in healthy subjects aged >55 y. Am J Clin Nutr 73, 539548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trebble, T, Arden, NK, Stroud, MA, Wotton, SA, Burge, GC, Miles, EA, Ballinger, AB, Thompdon, RL & Calder, PC (2003 a) Inhibition of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin 6 production by mononuclear cells following dietary fish-oil supplementation in healthy men and response to antioxidant co-supplementation. Br J Nutr 90, 405412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trebble, TM, Wootton, SA, Miles, EA, Mullee, M, Arden, NK, Ballinger, AB, Stroud, MA, Burdge, GC & Calder, PC (2003 b) Prostaglandin E2 production and T-cell function following dietary fish oil: response to antioxidant co-supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr 78, 376382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, FA, Miles, EA & Calder, PC (2003) Comparison of the effects of linseed oil and different doses of fish oil on mononuclear cell function in healthy humans. Br J Nutr 89, 679689.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamazaki, K, Fujikawa, M, Hamazaki, T, Yano, S & Shono, T (1992) Comparison of the conversion rates of alpha-linolenic acid (18–3(n-3)) and stearidonic acid (18–4(n-3)) to longer polyunsaturated fatty-acids in rats. Biochim Biophys Acta 1123, 1826.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yaqoob, P, Pala, HS, Cortina-Borja, M, Newsholme, EA & Calder, PC (2000) Encapsulated fish oil enriched in α-tocopherol alters plasma phospholipid and mononuclear cell fatty acid compositions but not mononuclear cell functions. Eur J Clin Invest 30, 260274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar