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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #67117
Title: EFFECTS OF DIETARY ARACHIDONIC ACID (AA) ON HUMAN IMMUNE RESPONSE (IR)

Author
item Kelley, Darshan
item Taylor, Peter
item Nelson, Gary
item Schmidt, Perla
item Mackey, Bruce
item KYLE, DAVID - MARTEX CORPORATION

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: AA is a precursor of eicosanoids which influence human health and the activity of immune cells in vitro. We, therefore, examined the effects of dietary AA on the IR of 10 healthy men living at our metabolic suite for 130 d. Normal healthy male volunteers (n=10) were fed diets containing 1.8 g/d of AA for 50 d. The control diet contained 340 mg/d of AA. Details of the study were given in an earlier abstract by Nelson et. al. In vitro indices of IR were examined using the blood samples drawn on d 15, 58, 65, 108, 115 & 127. The subjects were immunized with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on d 45 and with the influenza (Flu) vaccine on d 92. Feeding of the nutritionally balanced, low-fat diet enhanced several indices of immune response (PBMNC proliferation in response to mitogens, in vitro secretion of TNF, DHS response). Dietary AA did not influence many indices of IR (PBMNC proliferation in response to PHA, Con A, pokeweed, MMR, Flu vaccine prior to immunization, natural killer cell activity, and the number of circulating lymphocytes bearing markers for B, T, helper, suppressor, and NK cells). Immunization with Flu vaccine increased the in vitro proliferation in response to this vaccine in both groups, however the increase was about 4-fold higher in the group receiving high-AA diet compared to the group receiving low-AA diet (p=0.02). Immunization with MMR vaccine failed to enhance in vitro proliferation of PBMNC in both groups. The number of circulating granulocytes was increased in both groups by high-AA diet (p=0.03), while the number of circulating monocytes and lymphocytes were not affected. Dietary AA, at the levels fed in this study, had no adverse effect on the subjects.